Your Community Builder
Your Community Builder
Sorted by date Results 726 - 750 of 1120
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 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...
There’ll be no more horsin’ around wearing our homemade bridles with bits and reins. No winter “horseshoes” with blocks of wood and straps to secure to our feet. We used to stand tied to fences or corrals with our “bridles” and run around in winter pawing with our “horseshoes.” Folks would ask (and some do ask personal questions) if we ever had a BM out on the gumbo when we rode after cattle. “Of course,” one of us politely answered. “What do you wipe with way out there?” Sagebrush was the answer. “You’ll both get ‘piles...
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...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, it might be fun to go back in time (but only for a short time) when life moved at a slower pace. We’ll leave behind: high speed internet, cell phones, telephones, T. V., GPS and electricity. Daily chores, back then, were milking cows, gathering eggs, cleaning coop and barn, slopping pigs, feeding bucket calves, cooking meals from scratch, and in Autumn, making jams, jellies, canning fruits, vegetables and meat, making soap, making some of our clothes or remaking hand-me-downs. Ah – a...
While looking through “Shifting Scenes” to write an article, I came across an article written by Sandi Kirkwood on the family of James and Inga C. Senrud Johnstone. As I read through those I said to myself: “What interesting people, times and events.” You readers be the judges. Like a lot of individuals, they came across the water to the U.S.A. James (Jimmy) was born on January 27, 1883 in Creetown, Kircubrightshire, Scotland. He was one of seven children as he had three brothers and three sisters. Inga Senrud was born Ju...
I was so sorry to hear about the death of my classmate, Donna Sjoblom Smith. I started grade school in Ekalaka in 1944 in the first grade; we had no kindergarten then. Part of my class was Donna Sjoblom. Donna was cute as could be and was smart, sweet and nice. She was everyone’s favorite. She was my classmate all the way through school and graduated from high school with me in 1956. Donna’s parents lived on a farm a little west of Ekalaka but I think that she went to town school for her whole school experience. Donna too...
Hello, I’m not a real good fencer. You can ask my neighbors. But yesterday I was forced to build a quarter mile of four barbed-wire fence. It happened because on Saturday evening, I was rudely taken from a pinochle game to get cattle off the road. And Shirley wasn’t home to get them in. So yesterday morning, we went to fencing. We being Shirley and I. There is nothing more attractive to me than a woman wearing Carhartt Overalls, a Scotch cap, and leather gloves, with a fencing plier in her hand. Gorgeous. I mean it’s not V...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, sometimes we wonder when we should read Your Word? Is there a certain time to read? Pondering the question of ‘when’: should it be morning, evening, mealtime, bedtime, or maybe in time of conflict and confusion, or when we are sick or lonely, or maybe even angry? Should we read Your Word when we are serene, peaceful and contemplative? Should we read only when we have ‘time’, or, maybe we should just ‘squeeze’ You in, Lord? When is the best time to read Your Word? Then – someone sha...
Hello, You know there is a saying I often heard about cowboys. “Everyone wants to be a cowboy, until they have to do cowboy ….” You can fill in the blanks. The editor doesn’t let me say it. I guess that was never truer than a deal last week. My make believe friend Shannon and I were at the local livestock sale. You know Shannon. He’s the guy I partnered on the dollar bull with. He’s the guy that, when we partnered on a couple bulls, we played poker for the best bull. I won and then when we were branding his, it kicked him...
In 1939 the Donald family moved to Ekalaka with Mrs. Donald and the children consisting of Mary, Charlie, Jessie May, Helen and Lola with George Donald coming later. The beloved horse, Kernal was brought by George and was pastured at the Downey place close to Ekalaka and lived to be 26 years old. “We tried to take our dog with us, but he wouldn’t get in the truck,” a “Shifting Scenes” article reads. “Three days after we moved to Ekalaka, our dog was on the doorstep, footsore, but as happy to see us as we were to see him.” I...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, sometimes when we’re just plain tired out, we might think: ‘Rest time?” What is that? How is that going to happen when there are still so many chores waiting to get done? A friend reminded us that we need to take time out for ourselves, to take care of ourselves, that we need to back up a bit and let You, Lord, refresh us. Another friend told about an interesting thing that she’d heard, which is/was called FOB. Like, what is that? She smiled as she told us that at her house, th...
Hello, This is the time of the year that I miss Pat. Pat O’Brien. He passed away several years ago after a lifetime in the cattle industry. I knew him mostly as an auctioneer. You have to understand that this is the time of the year that most ranchers are marketing their calf crop. It is a time that you have actually been laying plans for, for more than a year. It started when you were selecting replacement heifers a few years ago and buying a battery of bulls that you hoped would improve your herd. And for most of us, it e...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: Fall is fast approaching us; we feel it in the air. Its signs are all around us, too, we see them everywhere! Leaves are turning to orange and gold, they’re such a lovely sight. They don’t stay long as orange and gold, they change fast overnight. Autumn has many clear crisp days, bright colored foliage, too. We’re ‘game’ to tackle outdoor jobs, it’s something we all do. Before the Winter settles in, we’ll work and spread good cheer, with willingness we’ll work ‘til we’re done, we do that every year...
Hello, We were lucky. Real lucky. I’m sure you have seen the stories and pictures of last week's snow storm in North Dakota. For an October storm, it was a doozy. Up to two or three feet of snow and strong winds. But we missed it here in the west. I guess by about fifty miles. Two days before the storm, we decided to bring cows home from a pasture we had rented over in Kidder county. A hundred and sixty miles east of here. I know, I know, you say I must be crazy. Don’t tell me. Shirley has made that abundantly clear. Thanks t...
Hello God, it’s me, Mara: You know, Lord, some girl friends had gathered together and were having a great time chit chatting about when their kids were just little tots. Nearly every one of the gals had some amusing and enjoyable things to share about things that had happened, maybe some years ago. One gal told this story: “I’d been busy pulling weeds, then I noticed that my son who was then just three years old was observing the sky, clearly watching as the jet kept leaving its trail of smoke and suddenly, he excla...
Hello, You can read lots of economic forecasts. And many of them tell of an impending recession. I suppose you can put the blame wherever you want, but it seems we have recessions every ten years or so. It happens. I don’t need to read of an oncoming recession. If you are in agriculture, the recession has been here for years. Maybe it is a depression. I guess it is a fine line. But the easiest way for me to forecast the economy it is how I deal with many purchases. Sometimes we revert to one of the oldest, truest forms of c...
Hello, Every once in awhile I run across something that makes me smile. Actually, I run across a lot of stuff that makes me smile. And smiling is good for one’s soul. A weasel walks into a bar. The bartender had never served a weasel before, and he says as much. “I’ve never served a weasel before,” the bartender says to the waiting weasel. “What would you like?” “Pop,” goes the weasel. Admit it. It made you smile. And there was this. But if you don’t live in an area where many Ukrainians settled, you may not get it. This...
