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Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, sometimes we need a reminder about certain things. How fun to discover that this coming Tuesday, the 21st, is called Hugging Day! Hugging Day is a special day to embrace the hug. Give your ‘mum’ a hug to show her that you really do care, that you love her, day in and day out; give your dad a hug to show him that he is loved and that you appreciate his attention in all that you do and have accomplished. Give your best friends a hug to let them know they are awesome, and together you c...
Since our son Bret bought into our ranching operation when he came back to the ranch after college, I am no longer the right hand man in this operation. I have been demoted back to assistant nobody, which is a great title. I love my life of part-time cowgirl and part-time County Superintendent of Schools. However, occasionally I come to the conclusion that I need to get a full-time job. The problem with a part-time job is that the ranch manager/CEO/husband person feels that since my hours are somewhat flexible that I can be...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, mending day happens to all of us; there are sock, shirts, jeans, you name it and it probably needs mending. Besides clothing, there is upholstery, fences, railings, relationships, and even broken hearts to mend. Mending clothing isn’t all that difficult but on mending day, aren’t we ever so thankful that You did not give us a ‘dozen children’. We’re thankful and grateful for the three special girls (or are there five girls now?) who always called us substitute parents even though they...
New federal law raises the minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age. On December 20th, 2019, the President signed legislation raising the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age. According to the Food and Drug Administration, tobacco (nicotine-containing products) is considered any product made or derived from tobacco and intended for human consumption and used in any tobacco-containing device including “hookah, e-cigarettes (vapes), dissolvables, smokeless t...
Some of the hardest questions to answer start with why. Why will fish bite one day and not the next, or even stop biting when they were having a feeding frenzy a minute ago? Why did prehistoric people use a particular cliff face to draw a petroglyph? Why can't I win the lottery? Okay, scratch that. Just the other day, an acquaintance asked why magpies are black and white. First, magpies are not just black and white. Their colors include shades of gray, green and blue. In the...
The holiday season can be extra stressful for adults and children with the change of routines and the extra demands of our time. We are running around trying to make sure we have the right presents for each family member and friend and our kids’ friends and teachers. Then there are the Christmas programs at school and church. Oh, wait, don’t forget about the Christmas parties at work and with friends. And, we have our regular activities to fit in there – work, cleaning the house, dishes, laundry, cooking, etc. Excess stres...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, reading an article entitled REFLECTIONS, a challenge was given: “IF you were another person, would you like to be a friend of yourself?” What a good New Year’s Resolution THAT would be for every one of us to make, right? But – like it or not, that is a hard saying. That challenge calls for some inner inspection. Does our Christian walk go with our talk? We know that we should pray our walk would show. A person has to live with himself and in so doing, it’s up to him to see to it t...
Hello, I’ll start this week by wishing all of you a Merry Christmas. And probably a Happy New Year! Twas two nights before Christmas as I write this. It is with some regret, and also some relief, that I am letting you know that I am going to retire from writing my weekly column. No, it’s not something you did. It’s just that I don’t do as much as I used to and I don’t want to have to make anything up or exaggerate anything. That is how I roll. Well, maybe a little. I started writing a weekly column for the McKenzie County Fa...
Can we all agree that winter is here? We probably could have reached that consensus of opinion after the snowstorms of late September and early October, but at times since the weather has seesawed like polling data before an election. Now, however, as Christmas closes in, we realize winter is here. The calendar tells us so, as does the dwindling amount of daylight. So do relatives that keep telling me how nice the weather is now in Arizona. I don't hear so much from them in...
Hello, Maybe you noticed that I didn’t get a column in last week. I apologize. It’s not my fault. Well, in a way it is. You see, I was in Las Vegas. Sin City. The city that never sleeps. Or is that New York? I get mixed up. Two things you will never find in Las Vegas are clocks and business centers in a motel. I’m not real tech savvy. I know you find that hard to believe, but it is true. I can’t sit down with an iPad or my phone, take a fat finger, tap out a column and send a message out to the newspapers. I have to sit dow...
Jimmy Johnstone and Inga Senrud were married during the time when World War I was being fought by both Great Britain and the United States. Since Jimmy was a British citizen, he wanted to wait until after the war was over to become a naturalized citizen, as he wished to remain loyal to his native Scotland. He thought that if he were to file for citizenship papers, it would take too long and he would not have been able to serve either of the two countries that he loved. He remained a subject of King George V of England until...
Viruses can cause a host of different illnesses, from the common cold to influenza, to hand-foot-and-mouth disease, to Ebola. Viruses are fascinating little particles. Scientists have debated whether viruses are living or non-living organisms for decades! Scientists have a list of criteria used to determine if an organism is living or non-living. One of the criteria is that living things have cells. Well, viruses do NOT have cells. They have a protein coat that protects their genetic material. Another criterion is that...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, why do we write “Xmas” instead of “Christmas,” the short-hand way? This got us curious; so, we stopped at the library. A book of origins explained some of the things we do at Christmas. One reference stated: “If you wonder why Christmas is sometimes written “Xmas,” it’s because “X” is the Greek equivalent of “Ch”, used to represent the word “Christ.” A dictionary refers one to XP (the same as CHRISTMAS), as the first two letters (chi and rho) of the Greek work “Khristos,” a symb...
The pretty young lady that “Jimmy” Johnstone visited at the Anderson Ranch was Inga Senrud who was born June 4, 1895 at Laton Hegemark, Norway being an only daughter, along with two brothers born to Johan and Olive Audensons Senrud. Remember Jimmy was born in Scotland. It was reported that Mrs. Olive Senrud felt that her family would have a much better life if they were to move to the U.S.A. Her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Heggen, lived near a place called Ekalaka, Montana, and were urging them to come. So in 1...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, sometimes we just seem to get stressed out, and that doesn’t please You, right? ‘Marsha’ shared how she stays on top of things and is relaxed amid the holiday rush. She called them the “Four Big C’s” and recommended them for a happier holiday season. Here’s how she Capitalizes on the Big C’s. CHRISTMAS CARDS: Write short notes in your cards in late November – or at least during the first week in December. Convey caring as you write, communicating that good feeling to your friends and...
Hello, December is a tough month for me. My notes are due at the bank. My calves are just weaning and usually I have to doctor a few that catch a cold after weaning. The snow is starting to accumulate and I have to dig through the drifts to find stuff I left to pick up tomorrow. I start to count my hay bales and see how many I can feed a day and still make it to May. And, this is the kicker; Shirley’s birthday is next week. You know by now that I am not much of a shopper. If they had a liquor store at Runnings or Tractor S...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, it’s that time of year again; it is ‘time’ for us to be thankful. We are so busy doing ‘whatever’, that we just take so many things for granted, so a day has been set aside so that all of us can be thankful! We perhaps should take a moment to list a few of the things that You do for us and give to us; listing just a few, we think about such things as our life, health, food, shelter, jobs, family, friends; generally, these things are just taken for granted, they aren’t even given a...
Hello, Shirley says to, “Tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving!” So there, that is from both of us. I hope you had a great day, or several days with family and friends. The diet after Thanksgiving begins now. Many of my friends from years ago remember the years I served in the State Senate. I did a ten-year sentence during the eighties and early nineties. During my time, I never saw a gaming bill that I didn’t like. Maybe it was because agriculture is such a gamble anyway, that to risk a few dollars on the turn of a card or a rol...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, November is a ‘thankful’ time. A friend remembered when she was growing up how her Grandma always set a huge table for her dear family. “J.L.” recalled that Grandma would tell them that this was the perfect time to start ‘cheerleading on paper’. Grandma had a stack of paper and had each person write their name on the top, then all the slips of paper were dropped into a basket. After a most delicious meal, everyone drew a name from the basket. “J.L.” remembered everyone being ve...
by Raquel Williams, RN Sorry about the hiatus, life had gotten a little too hectic with college, work and Tegan’s schedule. However, now that I have moved into the Carter County Public Health department, I plan to reach out to the people of this county more frequently. I developed this column a couple of years ago to provide health education to the public, as I am passionate about educating others and feel getting information out to citizens is essential. However, I am not going to talk about health promotion or disease p...
Hello, Well, the storm that was forecast for opening day of deer season wasn’t as bad as was anticipated. Although in many parts of North Dakota, it was wet enough that the trails a farmer or rancher has to drive on all winter, are full of ruts and hunters are going to be cussed for a long time. And judging by the pictures posted on social media, a lot of big bucks were harvested. It doesn’t always take a big buck to make a successful hunt. I recall a day back in the eighties when we had a house full of deer hunters snowed in...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, what would we like to thank You for on this day that You have made for us? We’re thankful for the many blessings and ‘gifts’ that You give us, including family and friends. How fun to hear ‘kids’ laugh and giggle, sharing their day, expressing some things that they’re thankful for. Five ‘helpers’ shared: ‘Bonita’ told about noticing her car’s dash light referring to a tire. She was so glad that she just ‘happened’ to be near the tire shop. Long story – short, the tire repairman fou...
As we were growing up in Ekalaka, Independence Day was a lot of fun and very important to us. We always went out to the Grandparents farm to celebrate. Our cousins, Hans, Gale, Ronald and Doris would always come out with their parents, Joe and Sylvia Christiansen, who lived in Miles City. Sylvia was my mother’s sister. They couldn’t leave Miles City until after Uncle Joe got off work and they always stopped in Ekalaka as they went. We were usually asleep when they came and they would gather around our beds and yell real lou...
Dear Editor, The Carter County Food Bank would like to thank everyone for their support. We are very fortunate to have this service available to needy families. Approximately 400-500 lbs of food per month goes out. The Montana Food Bank Network provides many staples for us, including canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and nuts, some meats and all the pasta products you could ever want. As we approach this holiday season, I have been receiving lots of requests for a list of food bank needs. Following is a list of...
Hello, Over the years you hear lots of stories. Stories of jokes that guys have played on one another. I’ve written about them in the past. About Johnny putting the dead calf in Clarence’s pasture. And Clarence buying a pail calf and then unable to find the mother of the dead calf. I’ve written of the night they hauled Terry’s bulls home, and then returned his pickup to where it was parked behind the Buckskin, and left the endgate open. But I don’t think I ever told you the pig story. Oh, I know I’ve told the tale of my...
