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Hello God, it’s me, Mara: Oh, Lord, You know the good and bad about every single one of us, and after reading this passage in Psalms, it seems like, here we go again. We read: “What fools the nations are to rage against the Lord! How strange that men should try to outwit God!” Psalm 2:1 If we’d just give it some thought, we’d know that our deception is useless; for You, oh Lord, have made us. You know our beginning from our end. You know our very hearts, our deepest thoughts; You know our hearts and our dreams. You know the...
by Eric Dietrich and Brad Tyer People have been parsing the human lifespan into a taxonomy of ages forever. Aristotle proposed three categories: youthful, prime of life, and elderly. Two thousand years later, Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man carved human chronology into seven slices, with the body's final frailty circling back to the original oblivion of infancy. And in the 1980's, British historian Peter Laslett proposed a revised map of three ages, with a caveat for the...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You now, Lord, each day that You give us, is a ‘room of time’. We can use that time or we can abuse it, we can spend it or waste it, we can fill our time with recollections of past failures and moan all the ‘what if’s,’ if only,’ ‘woe is me.’ We can have our own “pity party” with just us as the honored guest, for who, pray tell, would want to come to such a party! Or, woo-hoo - we can fill our ‘room of time’ with peace and happiness, joy and satisfaction. We can be about as glad or as sad as we choo...
As the COVID numbers rise, so do the fears that we may have to go back to more restrictions. It is hard to put a cork back in an open bottle, so it will be interesting to see if we are faced with trying to do so. Most families are concerned about reopening of schools in the fall. Schools are making plans to open and trying to determine what that will look like. School closures caused a tremendous hardship for working parents. Being a working mother is no picnic. I know this, because I was one for 21 years. Even though it has...
Hi Ekalaka! It is definitely been a while since I’ve been able to write an article for you, but I know that today I’m going to be talking about a very important topic. It is come to my attention that there are several scams going around town affecting our citizens. I needed to write this article, so everyone is aware of how to verify any mailings, phone calls, or other methods you receive about prize winnings. The most common kind of scams are: phone calls; emails; computer support scams; imposter scams; fake checks; dem...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, on the 1st day of July, there is a list of some Special and Wacky Days. One special day is Canada Day/Dominion Day, plus National Postal Worker Day. Then, how about a creative Ice Cream Flavor Day. Now that summer is in full swing, we might need something to help us cool off a bit, so how about some creative Ice Cream flavors for today. A friend asked IF we were old enough to remember just how many flavors of ice cream there were, and could we name all 28 flavors? She thought that s...
Many readers know the poetry from Sandy Seaton Sallee even if they don't know Sandy or her husband Scott. Sandy and Scott own Black Mountain Outfitters in the Paradise Valley, and they need some prayers and love right now. Just as their busy summer season was starting, the mare Scott was packing to camp spooked hard, ran over his mule, and he landed on a big rock. He was having trouble breathing. Fortunately there was cell service even though they were several miles up a trail, and Sandy's brother was able to call her to...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: Respect, what is respect, Lord? It seems like our idea of respect has really changed in the last decade or two, wouldn’t You say so, too, Lord? Perchance, do any of us even remember that, in essence, respect might be admiration, consideration, deference, honor, reverence, regard, or even value. In this day and age, psychedelic shorts and a cap are worn in church – we pause a moment to wonder, where is respect for the house of God? Calling the Pastor by his given name in public, where there is respe...
Summer is the time when I decide to roll up my sleeves and clean out some junk. However, my parents were children of the Great Depression, so I can still hear their voices ringing in my ears when I think about pitching stuff that could potentially have some use in the future--even though it has received no usage within the last 25 years. Marilee Robinson of Billings, Montana sent me her delightful book East Meets West, and one of her essays, which I have abridged this week is called "Throwin' It Out." I love her style of...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: DADS are special people No home should be without. For every family will agree. They’re “SO NICE TO HAVE ABOUT.” They are a happy mixture of a “Small Boy” and a “Man.” And they’re very necessary, In every “Family Plan.” Sometimes they’re most demanding, And stern, and firm and tough. But underneath they’re “soft as silk” And this is just a “bluff.” But in any kind of trouble, Dad reaches out his hand, And you can always count on him To help and understand. And while we do not praise DAD As often as...
Often, women are more concerned about taking care of others than taking care of themselves. I know I do – I do my best to make sure my daughter has clean clothes, food she’ll eat, things to do. Now that she’s a tween, she is pretty good at taking care of herself. But there always seems to be something or someone else to be concerned about. But, to properly care for others, we women must make ourselves our number one priority! If we fall ill or get hurt, who will take care of the house, the kids, our significant other, our w...
As Father’s Day approaches, the rivers and creeks are running high and muddy, which makes all of us happy--except those planning a Father’s Day fishing trip. This summer of social distancing makes camping and fishing the ideal pastime, especially because the fly fisherman has been glamourized and romanticized almost as much as the Gary Cooper/Marlboro cowboy image. Movies like A River Runs Through It have made fly fishing a huge industry in our part of the country, and I am glad because it provides me with a lot of sum...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: This is really wonderful - SHARE IT!! As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize: Whether we wear a $3000 or $30 watch - - - they both tell the same time. Whether we carry a $300 or $30 wallet/handbag - - - the amount of money inside is the same. Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $30 or $3 wine - - - the hangover is the same. Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3,000 or 30,000 sq. ft. - - - the loneliness is the same. And we realize our true inner happiness doesn’t come from the mat...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, sometimes words and sayings are downright fascinating. One wonders how some such phrases came about. Listening to conversations at a loving family reunion, a long while ago, these sayings were overheard: Uncle Charlie: “I can not abide newspaper pies,” he said. His mother, on the other hand, thought that pies were not even fit for humans; “They are much too sweet!” she proclaimed. So, when it was absolutely necessary to MAKE pies, she made them as thin as possible. She actually...
As the sun sets on the primary elections in Montana this week, and the general election looms ahead, the candidates have had a Covid-19 impacted campaign. They couldn't hold meet and greets, shake hands and hand out brochures, or kiss babies. Having run for public office, I feel their pain. It is not easy to run for office in a normal year, and living in a small community makes it even harder! I remember well the first time I ran for my County Superintendent of Schools position back in 2006. The day I first announced my candi...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, while living through this special Memorial season this week, it is a season that we hold dear to our hearts, pondering on the precious memories of those who have departed. If our heart aches, it is more for us than for them. With each heartache, each memory, we may tell ourselves with determination, that this is the last, that here is the logical point for the past to grow quiet. But – no known logic works on the worst of facts, when we think about the death of someone we have lov...
In honor of National Beef Month, I have decided to rerun a branding etiquette column since I have had numerous requests to repeat it. One of the nicest compliments I have received is when readers have told me they have this column posted on their refrigerator or they have shared it with some of their branding crew. Sadly, as the population has become more removed from agriculture, there are many misconceptions about branding. Rather than being a gathering of neighbors to work together to get a big job done, it is often...
Edna tells of her early years of teaching school in North Dakota, later in Montana in the Ridgeway area and then to the O'Fallon Creek school. She listed most of the students. The winter of 1935-36 was really cold, more than six weeks below zero and deep snow. Not one student was late or absent in all that time (referring to the O'Fallon Creek school). There were no "yellow school busses" running at that time! Now I will quote Edna on her marriage to Bud and her description...
To many of us, Memorial Day has become a long holiday weekend that marks the beginning of the summer season, but I hope that at some moment during the weekend, everyone will take the time to think of the sacrifices our service men and women have made and continue to make so that we can enjoy the freedoms we take for granted and also to remember loved ones who have left us. This is an amazing true story that underscores the gratitude we need to remember to express to those who have served or who are serving! It happened every...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, sometimes while plodding, walking heavily, through a day/time/or a problem, we truly need some wisdom; occasionally we come across some interesting material. A friend shared a special ‘secret’ about the word ASKing which means Asking, Seeking, Knocking. She said that she had found her answer while checking out Proverbs 2 where she read: “If one listens and obeys the Lord’s instructions, the Lord will give wisdom and good sense.” That verse just blessed her and has helped her through m...
As we head into week 7 of crisis homeschooling, we have been informed by school officials that we will not be returning to school this spring. We know that finishing out the year is our responsibility as parents or grandparents, and no one is coming to our rescue. My teacher colleagues tell me that approximately one quarter of their students are struggling with getting work completed. I think we need to spin that positively by celebrating the fact that 75% of our students are doing well under extremely difficult conditions,...
COVID-19 is high on everyone’s radar, and there continues to be zero cases in Carter County. However, we have to remember there are other diseases out there which we must be aware of and protect ourselves, like tick-borne diseases. Because Spring is here, and so are ticks! I have already found five on my puppy... There are many species of ticks in Montana that are capable of transmitting a variety of viral, bacterial, and parasitic illnesses to humans and other mammals, like pet dogs. However, you can reduce your risk of b...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: Isn’t it interesting, Lord, to note that the word ‘household’ can be defined as an “occupied dwelling that has its own entrance - and a kitchen?” These views are gleaned from “Its Own Entrance and a Kitchen,” by Richard G. Champion, as follows: ‘One ponders over “households” with fragmented families multiplying. Households are for eating and sleeping, among other things. A bedroom isn’t really necessary as one could sleep in a chair or on the floor in the kitchen. ‘A door, yes, to go in and to go o...
I have written about “Bud” Asbury, including some information on his parents (Elmo & Bessie), his education, graduation from Carter County High School in 1928 and a small amount on his love for ranching, riding bucking horses and bulldogging. The short article in “Shifting Scenes” about Bud mentions nothing about his marriage to Edna, but there is a lot of information on her family, where they lived, her education, teaching time, and yes, her marriage to Bud and some of their life on the Asbury Ranch. Let’s share her artic...
Sunday is Mother's Day, so I would like to wish all mothers a special day. Those of us who have lost our mothers realize how time spent with our mothers is more valuable than any other gift we could give or be given. I have never written a column that has been requested for reprint more than this column I wrote about my mother and our journey through Alzheimer's together. My mother, Florence Roberts, has been gone for 11 years, but sadly Alzheimer's Disease stole her from me several years before that. Every year on Mother's...
