406 Woman Business Vol.9 No.1

406 contents featured

10. Local Author Christine Carbo

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Man

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14. Cecil Noble

profile

Legal

40. Protecting Your Vacation Home

22. Earth Elements Design Center 24. Whitefish Aesthetics Sara Torgerson

non-profit

business 26. Sage and Cedar

32. Changed Lives Meet the Weaver’s

34. Homelessness

18. Montana Arts Council Masters

62. Glacier Rally in the Rockies

30 Community Involvement

health

36. Bringing Haven Back Home to Montana

42. Tips for Handling Stress 46. Misconceptions in Skincare Part III 48. Tackle Menopause Like a Queen 52. Pilates for a Healthy Spine 54. The Brain Gut Connection 58. Dental Anxiety 60. Satellite Clinic in Hungry Horse Published by Skirts Publishing six times a year

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704 C East 13th St. #138 Whitefish, MT 59937 info@406woman.com Copyright©2016 Skirts Publishing

View current and past issues of 406 Woman at w w w . 4 0 6 W o m a n . c o m

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Getting to Know Author

Christine Carbo

By Kristen Hamilton Photo By Scott Wilson Photography

With her second novel now on the streets, it was time to get to know local author, Christine Carbo, and share her success story with our readers.

Christine admitted that her new novel is actually the fourth book she’s written. While she was teaching at Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC), she completed two books that she “never did anything with.”

For her first published novel, The Wild Inside ( June 2015), and her new book, Mortal Fall, she focused on writing about things that she was typically interested in reading…crime fiction and mystery.

The next question was “what should the backdrop be?” (Where would the story take place.)?

She thought of cities around the country that might provide dynamic settings; then it dawned on her that she lives in this beautiful area that she loves and knows well and might be equally amazing to share with readers. Glacier National Park, which could tie in public (federal land) and private sectors seemed to be a perfect setting for a mystery series. Christine does a wonderful job of developing her lead characters that change in each story but are interrelated. She’s working on her third book in the series now that will be released in 2017.

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Having recently completed Mortal Fall, I’ll admit that I’m a fan. I was intrigued from start to finish and had a difficult time putting the novel down.

Christine did a great job of developing her characters and in the true sense of a mystery; the plot was full of twists and turns.

While reading the story, it was very apparent that she did her homework and fact checking. She said that she spoke with law enforcement and research experts in the area to be sure her information was accurate.

What brought Christine to this point is a winding road that that could never have been dull from my viewpoint.

She moved from Florida to Kalispell with her family when she was 12. Christine said, “My parents wanted to live in the mountains.”

After graduating from Flathead High School she hopped around a bit with college eventually earning her Masters degree in English and Linguistics from the University of Montana. During this time she also earned her pilot’s license and lived in Norway for a year.

For 10 years she was an Adjunct Professor at FVCC teaching English and related subjects.

Christine describes herself as a natural born teacher. She references a long line of teachers in her family.

Following her time at FVCC she started a business as a technical and resume writer. During this period she took a break from creative writing.

Christine describes the technical writing work as “monotonous.” Turns out it wasn’t that great for her health either as she injured her shoulder from using the mouse and repetitive motions which in turn kicked off the next phase of her life.

She took a Pilates class and loved it. Her health improved and eventually she took it to the next level and got certified as an instructor. Naturally for Christine the next step was to start a business and 13 years ago she opened Bridge Pilates Studio.

Owning and teaching at her own studio gave her the flexibility (both physically and emotionally) to get back into creative writing. “Pilates frees your mind to do other things,” she said.

Christine is happily married to Jamie and together they have three kids that keep them busy. She loves this area with a great “sense of community” and “quick access to wilderness.”

It’s all about balance and Christine seems to have found that and is doing what she enjoys in a place she loves.

Bridge Pilates Bridging the gap between mind and body.

Located at the Wave in Whitefish 406-253-3027

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Christine Carbo

As Monty delves further into an investigation that goes deeper than he ever imagined, he wrestles with the demons of his past, which lead back to harsh betrayals he thought he’d buried long ago.

Mortal Fall was released on May 31, 2016. Look for Christine at book signings around Montana plus Arizona, Seattle, San Diego, New York, Denver, and New Orleans.

Check out her website to order Mortal Fall and book signing details/ events. www.christinecarbo.com Glacier National Park police off icer Monty Harris knows that each summer at least one person—be it a reckless, arrogant climber or a distracted hiker—will meet tragedy in the park.

But Paul “Wolf ie” Sedgewick’s fatal fall from the sheer cliffs near Going-To-the-Sun Road is incomprehensible. Wolf ie was an experienced and highly regarded wildlife biologist who knew all too well the perils that Glacier’s treacherous terrain presents—and how to avoid them.

The case, so close to home, has frayed park employee emotions. Yet calm and methodical lead investigator Monty senses that something isn’t right. So when whispers of irresponsibility or suicide emerge, tarnishing Wolf ie’s reputation, Monty dedicates himself to uncovering the truth, for the sake of the man’s family and to satisfy his own persistent sense of unease.

Monty discovers that Wolf ie’s zealous studies of Glacier’s mysterious, embattled wolverine population, so vital to park ecology, had met resistance, both local and federal. To muddy the waters further, a wilderness facility for rehabilitating troubled teens—one that Monty’s older brother attended—may have a disturbing connection to the case. As Monty delves further into an investigation that goes deeper than he ever imagined, he wrestles with the demons of his past, which lead back to harsh betrayals he thought he’d buried long ago.

And then a second body is found.

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Cecil Noble The Real Deal

By Mary Wallace

Cecil Noble is a lucky man. Things have not always been easy, but when asked what is on his wish list, his reply is that he’s pretty content at the moment. He has had three careers, been the boss for each one – and he feels blessed that each stage of his life happened along at the exact time he needed it to.

When National Geographic referred to him as “the Real Deal”, they were NOT kidding. Cecil, a fourth-generation Montanan, has been a successful building contractor, a well-known outfitter and guide, and is currently “retired” to a less rugged but more comfortable life still offering a genuine western experience at Artemis Acres in Kalispell, Montana.

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It is probably safe to say that Cecil has always had a love of horses in his blood! They rode horses everywhere as a kid. He and his broth-

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er would ride their horses a mile or so each way to Polson’s one-room Valley View School every day no matter the weather. On the weekends they would often ride 10 miles to town for a milkshake and then race all the way back, with the loser having to milk the cows when they got home. (Somehow, older brother Bob never had to do the milking!) Cecil recalls that the boys would also ride 40 miles to Hot Springs to go to the rodeo, camp out overnight, and then ride back home the next day. Were their parents along on these expeditions or were they boys just turned loose on their own? “Nope – no parents,” laughs Cecil, “Ages 12 – 10 – 9! Simpler times back then.”

Cecil graduated high school in 1957 and spent a two-year stint in France while serving in the Army. He returned and married in 1961 and spent a couple of years in Great Falls. But his dream was to return to the Flathead area, build a herd of 20 head of horses, and own his own construction company. He was able to check these off his list by the age of 26.

Noble Construction Company built what were considered high end homes in those years, at a hefty price of about $75,000 or so. Cecil had a secretary and an office uptown, and he enjoyed spending his time driving around the valley managing upwards of 25 carpenters working on multiple building projects.

Life was good as a home builder, but Cecil knew his real passion was with the horses. It was one day in 1968, after spending a tiring day pulling shoes and trimming the hooves of the whole herd, it suddenly occurred to him, “These horses need to be working for ME, instead of me spending all this work on them!”

His experience and enjoyment in organizing trail rides and camps to friends & family led him to a decision to quit the construction business and start an outfitting business.

This proved to be no easy feat, since he had customers beseeching him to ‘just do one last project’ for them before he quit home building for good.

406 man} Cecil Noble

Cecil persevered however, and Lion Creek Outfitters was established in 1972. Cecil & his crew offered fall hunting camps for elk, mule deer, and white tail deer in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and in the Swan Valley.

In 1993, Cecil’s wife, Isabel, left her teaching career and joined the outfitting business and they added summer trail rides to the mix.

25 HEARTBEATS LIMIT: In the 1980’s, outfit-

ting had gotten to be such a big business in Montana that the USFS was having trouble managing the impact of all the human & hoof traffic in the wilderness. Pack strings of up to 70-80 were not uncommon! Region 2 USFS established a “25 Heartbeats limit” on pack strings, meaning that the total of humans and stock animals in any given group could not exceed 25 heartbeats. (If a dog was along, that counted, too!) Lion Creek Outfitters was able to accommodate the limits by sending out different groups with separate teams.

SIX MONTHS IN A WALL TENT: With their summer crew of six or so employees, the Nobles spent much of June establishing their lower camp in the Lion Creek area of the Swan Range and, as the snow melted, they would begin set up of their upper camp a further 10 miles in (which was just a mile outside the Bob Marshall Wilderness). The

upper camp was usually open by July 1st.

They would spend the entire summer and fall living in wall tents. They’d normally close the upper camp around mid-October and strike the lower camp in December and spend the holidays back in the Flathead Valley. From January to March however, Cecil & Isabel would load up a motor home and travel to the east coast to attend hunting & fishing trade shows (some attended by 100k people per day) to book the following season’s outfitting activity.

YEW BARK HARVESTING: In the mid-1990’s,

the Nobles became involved in another pursuit – harvesting Pacific Yew Bark for cancer research & treatment. Over the course of three years, they employed upwards of 350 people (including about 50 sawyers) for a 6-week window of rainy season - from June 1 to mid-July harvesting Yew bark under a USFS contract with Bristol Myers-Squibb.

Yew branches that were 3” diameter at the base were harvested by the sawyers and then the bark was removed by hand (using knives), by the rest of the crew. The Yew crew harvested and certified upwards of one million pounds of Yew bark over the course of three years. While research had proved that Yew bark was effective in cancer treatment, the problem was that the quantity of yew bark needed to isolate a viable amount of taxol per treatment (360,000 ma-

ture trees per year) would quickly wipe out the Pacific Yew species from the face of the earth. Researchers from all over the world worked together to eventually produce a synthetic Taxol through a technique involving cell fermentation, thus bringing the Yew bark harvesting operation to a close.

ARTEMIS ACRES: The somewhat demanding

summer camp/fall hunt/winter marketing schedule continued until 2005, when they sold their outfitting business to Swan Mountain Outfitters - hoping to retire to a less rugged lifestyle. Keeping one sire, Arctic Ice, and his mares & offspring, Cecil & Isabel bought 80 acres on Patrick Creek Road just outside of Kalispell, and began offering a different kind of western experience - establishing the Artemis Acres Ranch in 2006.

While searching for a name for their new venture, the Nobles wanted to express their personal philosophy toward the earth and her creatures from their many years of living and working in the wilderness. The myth of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and protector of wild nature and the young of all living things, fit their desire to offer the spiritual communion with nature found when horseback riding through forested mountains, breathing clean air, drinking pure water, and taking in the majestic vistas.

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406 man} Cecil Noble MISSION: When guests arrive at the ranch, they aren’t asked what they do for a living. Their social status is left at the gate. The Noble’s mission has always been to get their guests grounded back to Mother Earth. To get some dirt under their fingernails. To give them such an experience, with their horse and with nature, that they are a bit different person when they leave than when they arrived.

The operation focuses on all natural horse care - the horses are not kept in stalls, they live outside, they are born & bred outside, they eat all natural food, and they are allowed to roam free on the ranch as much as possible.

Arctic Ice and now a second generation stud, Joe, keep the horse herd evolving. Two foals entertain the guests out the window of the Lodge this spring.

The ranch offers one-hour, two-hour, or halfday rides, B&B style lodging, and a western BBQ on most Thursday nights. Local customers are always encouraged to come out and enjoy the ranch in whatever capacity they wish, but by far, most of their guests are from out of state.

These days their customers find out about the ranch at www.artemisacres.com, or on Trip Advisor, where they continue to have a 5-star rating & stellar customer reviews - which Cecil credits to the loyal support of his current crew.

Longtime friend and ranch hand/chuck wagon

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cook, Chuck Bright, along with wranglers Alexis Clevenger, Jenne Moore, and Melissa Maitlan provide the trail ride experiences that have made them famous. Sister-in-law Carol Reid manages the comfortable bed & breakfast style lodging available at the ranch, and chef Denise Scoggs provides delicious breakfast, trail lunches, and hearty dinners for lodge guests.

One wrangler that could be considered an Artemis miracle is Myndi Holcomb. Myndi was 14 years old when she first visited the ranch as a guest and that year she suffered an aneurism – her family took her to California for treatment.

After several surgeries and other treatments with mixed results, Myndi was left somewhat disabled and unable to walk well or function at all like a kid her age should. The doctors told Myndi’s parent they had done all they could for her. Heartbroken, her parents asked Myndi what might be on her bucket list. She had three wishes – to move to Whitefish, Montana, to graduate from Whitefish High School, and to spend the summer at Artemis Ranch. When Myndi arrived, she was determined to be useful and she started out answering the phone & grooming the horses. There must have been something about the fresh air & sunshine, because by the end of that summer, Myndi had graduated to wrangling for trail rides and had made great strides both physically and emotionally. She DID graduate from Whitefish High School and has been studying Animal Science at MSU in Bozeman. She has been a wrangler for the past four summers and will be on the crew part-time this summer.

Sadly, Isabel passed away in 2009 but her legacy lives on in the atmosphere of warm Montana hospitality and relaxed casual living that is present at Artemis Acres. Cecil continues to ride and exercise & train their horses. Each horse rides over 2500 miles per year - one of the older horses, Sweetie, has put in over 15k miles. Still following habits from his outfitting days, Cecil is early to bed every night and up at 4:30 every morning all year round.

He spends winters doing building projects, maintenance on equipment, repair work on fencing & other work on the property. Since Isabel passed away, he tries to space these projects out so he doesn’t get everything done by the end of January and get too bored waiting for Spring to arrive to get the ranch up & operating for guests again. His summers are all devoted to ranch guests.

THINGS MOST PEOPLE WOULDN’T KNOW:

The ranch is within a short 5 miles of Kalispell – so much beauty and solitude so close to town. Many people in the Flathead are not even aware they are there. Although Cecil doesn’t do Facebook - the computer is just not his thing – they do have a Facebook page that Alexis keeps up to date at www.facebook. com/artemisacrespaintedhorses/. Also the artemisacres.com website has a wealth of information but does encourage you to pick up the phone. On the contact us page it says “This cowboy’s too busy to email, so give us a call on us. Toll Free: 1-866-272-9620 or 406755-3723”

406 man} Last August Cecil’s three wranglers donated a whole week’s worth of tips to the Wings Program in Kalispell - they decorated the horses with pink ribbons and the guests generously gave $1600 toward the valuable local program that offers funding for cancer patients who need to travel for treatment. They plan to do a similar fundraiser this year on a larger scale by challenging other area guest ranches to participate, too.

THURSDAY TRAIL RIDE AND CHUCKWAGON DINNER – LOCALS WELCOME!

Trust me . . .this is not just a meal – it is truly an experience!

Guests (local & out-of-towners alike) can choose to enjoy the 2-hour trail ride followed by the dinner, or just come out for the dinner and an unforgettable evening! Just prior to dinner, the Artemis herd is turned loose to roam the ranch, but they must love to be with the guests, they nearly always make a dramatic entrance - running and kicking - into the pasture adjacent to the scenic meadow where the dinners are held.

On the menu is Flatiron Steak, Half Chicken, or Salmon along with the most delectable ‘fixins’ one can imagine – all prepared in the new outdoor BBQ kitchen by Artemis Ranch’s own grizzly chuckwagon cook – aptly named Chuck. They don’t serve alcohol, but guests are welcome to bring their own. Music most Thursdays – Terry & Judy Fosbery entertain with their western fiddle & guitar and Terry’s running commentary of the mostly true, but somewhat comical, history of Montana. Call 755-3723

by Wednesday to reserve a ride and/or a menu choice.

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Any words of wisdom from this month’s 406 Man? Cecil says his best advice is to always treat people the way he wants to be treated. A wise & lucky man, indeed.

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art} Rebecca Farm

Montana Arts Council Masters

By Christine Hensleigh

Every year, the Montana Arts Council adds names into an elite circle of artists who have mastered a folk art, traditional arts or fine handcraftsmanship. This unique distinction is given to artists who do more than just make beautiful or useful things—this circle requires that your work help preserve a culture, a tradition or a skill.

Founded in 2007, it’s a circle of only 30 artists called the Circle of Masters.

This year, under The Event at Rebecca Farm Trade Fair’s big, white tent—two of that elite circle of masters will have booths: Buckskin clothier Elaine Snyder and leather saddle maker Steve Stefely. With 88 years of combined experience in leather between these two artists—you can stop by and see the skill that marks this elite few.

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at the Event

Buckskin leather artist Elaine Snyder’s life took an unexpected turn in 1975 when she made her first leather item. A classically trained tailor who once worked for the upscale and prestigious clothier, Lord and Taylor, Snyder grew up making all of her own clothes. But once Snyder started working in leather, she never looked back from traditional textiles.

Over 2,000 of custom pieces later, Snyder still loves to work in leather—elk, deer, moose and even an ostrich are familiar materials for her. And she’s even worked with and eland, or African antelope hide.

Working in leather takes patience and a multistep process that starts with stretching enough tanned hides (a men’s jacket requires four hides) and can end with hand-stitching details or frill. The end product is buckskin jackets that any trapper, trader or even Buffalo Bill Cody, would be happy to wear.

Snyder’s path to mastery took hundreds of hours of research and even more trial and

error—few patterns for 1800s clothing items even exist. It was a Custer era jacket that put her on the map as an artist when the piece won first place in the Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show in Sheridan, Wyoming.

Since then, she’s made native style wedding dresses and is a favorite in western reenactment circles for her trader and Western era style shirts. Because of her extensive knowledge of clothing from this era, she’s repaired more than one buffalo robe coat, an item so fashionable in the 1800s, it was a major contributing factor to the extinction of the buffalo.

On a different spectrum of leather, Montana Master Steve Stefely is also at The Event at Rebecca Farm trade fair, although he might blend into the background. This custom leather worker doesn’t bring any pieces to sell, because

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he is busy during the competition—doing saddle, rein and other leather repair work necessary for horses and riders.

Away from the competition and in his custom shop—Stefely has a broad body of work. From saddles, to holsters and even a reproduction of Dragoon leather helmet, popular in the 1800s.

While he can create historical era items or English and Western saddles, it’s his ability in leather working of all types that earned him his Montana master’s status.

“I specialize in custom work. It’s very seldom I’ve made the same thing twice. I don’t have anything in stock or on hand.” Stefely explained.

His experience in just about everything Western, including ranch work and outfitting, has done much to inform this ability to be versatile, but his beginnings as a master started when Steve became an apprenticeship at a retail saddle shop in Illinois. There, an 80-year-old German saddle maker/repairman names Otto took young Steve under his wing.

“Whenever someone came into the shop or we would get a strange request, he would always say yes. He had a confidence in his abilities, that is what I learned from him.”

Stefely remembered.

Striking out on his own started when Otto had a request to make reins to fit a circus elephant, whose troupe was touring near them.

“Naturally Otto said we can do that. It was the closest I have ever been to an elephant.”

Stefely recalled.

Since then, he’s made leather accessories for antique cars, saddles for every riding type and even a camel saddle. But it is his excellence in Western history that cemented him as a Montana master, a fascination that traces back to his childhood.

“I’ve always loved horses and Indians,” Stefely said.

For more information on Elaine, Steve or any of the Montana Circle of Masters—organized by the medium and their name—visit the Montana Arts Council website www.art.mt.gov/artists.

Visit the Event at Rebecca Farm, July 21-24, 2016.

For more information see www.rebeccafarm.org.

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family fun

Parking donation supports our campaign to fight breast cancer

great food & shopping

A WORLD CLASS EQUESTRIAN TRIATHLON

kid zone

1010 W. Springcreek Rd. Kalispell, Montana

D R E S S A G E • C R O S S C O U N T R Y • S H O W J U M P I N G • J U L Y 2 1 - 2 4 • 2 016 FREE ADMISSION • 4-DAY TRADE FAIR • JULY 20: YOUNG & FUTURE EVENT HORSE SERIES PRESENTED BY MONTANA EQUESTRIAN EVENTS, INC.

EARTH ELEMENTS DESIGN CENTER

By Mary Wallace Photos by Alisia Dawn Photography

Necessity became the father of invention in 2013 when entrepreneur and tech industry

professional Steve Taylor was building his private home in Big Sky, Montana. Taylor and his building contractor, Ben Jones, had spent the entire project chasing down just the right products and interior finishes called for in the original design and realized that there was a lack of resources in the area for fine home finishes. From this frustration came the concept of a one-stop-shop for very fine home finishes, and the first Earth Elements Design Center was born in Bozeman, MT. Earth Elements offers a wide variety of interior finishes to suit every taste and budget, including tile, wood flooring, slab, appliances, door hardware, plumbing fixtures, cabinetry and more - all under one roof. Not only do they bring their full array of home finishes from entry level pricing to high end luxury, they also offer (at no extra charge) the following:

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- Estimate and takeoffs for assistance with budgeting on projects

- Custom project brochures tailored to each clients’ specific choices and options - Samples delivered to architects, designers, builders and home owners - Extra effort to keep within the client’s budget while still providing quality product - Education on the products to best match both the clients desired look and feel but also their lifestyle - Coordination of finish packages (even warehousing materials for delivery as needed) - Recommendation of qualified installers “When building and designing a home, working with the right team is the most important part of the process, and at Earth Elements Design Center, we have a talented group of professionals to help our clients design a new dream home or renovation from start to finish,” says Blythe Beaubien, Marketing Manager at Earth Elements.

“When someone starts a building project, they have 10,000 decisions to make,” says Matt Brown, Showroom Manager at the Earth Elements Whitefish showroom. “Many clients gather ideas from Pinterest and Houzz and then they visit the Earth Elements showroom, which inspires even more creativity! After the first 3,000 decisions, things can begin to seem a little overwhelming.

The staff at Earth Elements wants to help make their project to be fun – it doesn’t have to be painful!” says Brown.

This is where the staff at Earth Elements can really assist. By asking the client or their architect and designer a series of thoughtful questions about their desired design elements and daily life such as, do they want a traditional or modern feel?

Do they like dark finishes or light? Do they have pets? Do they remove shoes at the door? The talented crew at Earth Elements can put together a complete package of products and materials that not only matches the project budget and design plan, but what will also best serve their client’s lifestyle including considerations for maintenance goals, environmental and green building factors and functionality.

Earth Elements offers a unique showroom experience. It’s a place where you could spend an entire day getting inspiration and making

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EARTH ELEMENTS

The talented crew at Earth Elements can put together a complete package of products and materials that not only matches the project budget and design plan, but what will also best serve their client’s lifestyle. selections. The sales team will offer coffee or espresso, sparkling water or sodas. “We aim for a lifestyle experience, it’s a place where we want you to feel relaxed when making big decisions,” says Beaubien.

Earth Elements Design Center started in Bozeman in 2013 with just 5 employees and 2,500 square feet of space. They quickly outgrew their Bozeman showroom space and in 2015 moved to 12,500 square feet of space in Gallatin Gateway, just outside of Bozeman.

The Whitefish showroom, which opened in early 2015, will be expanding to a new and much larger location on Baker Avenue in September 2016.

In addition to expanding product lines, the new showroom will also feature full working kitchens to showcase their appliance product lines. New showrooms locations are also planned for Jackson Hole, WY and Sun Valley, ID in late 2016.

All of Earth Elements custom cabinetry is made onsite, in an area behind the Gallatin Gateway showroom. They also have a fabrication shop that produces all of their countertops from natural stone granite, quartz, and marble. Additionally, Earth Elements provides their own team of installers for their custom cabinetry, countertop finishes and appliances.

In response to their record growth, the company has adopted a 5s Lean Protocol and they are applying it to all areas of their showrooms and services. “5s” (which stands for Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain) was originally a concept applied to manufacturing facilities as a system to reduce waste and optimize productivity.

Having this concept applied to all facets of the Earth Elements Design displays, projects, and

materials can only help streamline every quote and building project, and ultimately save their clients time and money.

When asked, “What is the one thing you would like people to know about Earth Elements that they don’t know?” both Beaubien and Brown had identical responses. “Most people don’t realize we offer products and services for every budget,” they replied. “Many have been pleasantly surprised that Earth Elements Design Centers will work just as hard to get their entry level projects done on time and under budget as we do on any high end project,” said Brown.

The Earth Elements professional staff not only have many years of combined experience in hands-on construction, but they also make it a point to continually attend professional trade shows and trainings so they can offer cutting edge products and services to their clients. Their extensive experience and industry connections allow them to buy materials from all over the world at affordable prices and pass the savings on to their clients.

To connect with their customers, the Earth Elements staff exhibit at industry related trade shows, offer “Lunch and Learn” events in their showrooms to showcase new products, and spend one-on-one sessions with architects, builders and designers and their clients to make sure that they understand the use and care of their new living and working spaces. Further info and a schedule of upcoming events can be found on the following:

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www.facebook.com/EarthElementsDesignCenter/ www.facebook.com/Earth-Elements-Design-Center-Whitefish-227174090955531/ Insta - @earthelements_ www.earthelements.com

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Whitefish Aesthetics

Sara Torgerson Age Smarter

By Mary Wallace Photos by Katy Mendoza

Women (and men) of “certain” age begin to wonder if it is time to face the thought of ‘aging gracefully’. More often than not, they are opting to forego aging gracefully, instead choosing to age smarter.

Luckily, that is where Whitefish Aesthetics comes in. Sara Torgerson and her talented staff of Licensed Aesthetician Jene Morrison, and Licensed Massage Therapist Jessica How are proud to offer medically based, non-surgical, minimally invasive treatments.

Jene is known for her elegant facials, perfectly waxed brows, and her Silkpeel® dermal infusion treatments. Jessica’s popular massages include the Stumptown Signature, the Hellroaring Deep Tissue, the Flathead Lake Stone, and the Mellow Mama Maternity massages.

Whitefish Aesthetics offers a multitude of options – advanced injection techniques (Botox®, Juvederm®, Voluma® and Kybella®), laser hair reduction, photo rejuvenation, chemical peels, silk peel, waxing, massage and eyelash extensions.

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Once considered high-end and only for the elite, med spa treatments have become far more mainstream - a routine service in the life of millennials and baby boomers alike. It is not just for anti aging. Acne can be problematic throughout the lifespan with treatment targeted specifically to individual triggers. Many younger patients enjoy dramatic improvement with just good skincare products. Rosacea is a condition more prevalent in certain skin types and is very treatable with the right products and procedures as well.

Sara Torgerson, the owner of Whitefish Aesthetics, reports savvy 30-somethings represent the majority of the growing practice. They are realizing that it is always easier to prevent signs of aging than to reverse it. They come to the med spa for medical grade products, procedures and skin care treatments to prevent signs of aging. Those clients of that ‘certain’ age (40-60) are choosing Botox® as their treatment of choice for anti aging. Botox® has had FDA approval since 2002 for the treatment of frown lines with recent approval for treatment of crow's feet. It has a very high safety profile as well as patient satisfaction rating.

Why? Many fascinating studies reveal that Botox® can bring about a sense of well-being in addition to the cosmetic benefits. By the same concept that advises, ‘Smile until you feel better’ Botox® can produce a lifting of the facial muscles that creates a physical biofeedback effect and amazingly, the brain responds chemically to it producing ‘feel good’ hormones. When our brain thinks we are happy, we are indeed happy.

Laser hair reduction is very popular for underarm, bikini, legs and face. Never shave again! Photo facials are very effective to treat age spots and broken blood vessels of the face.

Another treatment that is gaining popularity is Kybella®, a treatment for double chin. Kybella® is administered by injection, and is the only FDA approved treatment to improve the appearance of moderate to severe fat beneath the chin. Once the desired results are achieved no further treatments are needed.

Clients come in for a complimentary consultation and visit with the staff about their con-

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Sara Torgerson

“We spend a lot of years focusing on the needs of our families and thinking things like . . . if I could just lose some weight, someday when I have the money, someday when I have the extra time, someday, someday….” Your ‘someday’ is TODAY.”

cerns. Whitefish Aesthetics’ style and philosophy is to work with the patient to develop a mutual understanding and set realistic goals using a stepwise approach for desired outcome.

There are options to fit every budget, every lifestyle, and any amount of recovery time. Profession and lifestyle play heavily in helping to make a decision. Some of the procedures the patient will see immediate results and some take one week to see the full effect. Some last 3-6 months and some last as long as 2 years.

Compliance is another key factor, as well as downtime. Does the patient’s lifestyle allow them to realistically follow the aftercare/recovery time required for each procedure?

Whitefish Aesthetics is the only med spa in the state to offer an innovative new skincare line called Mybody (soon rebranding to Glowbiotics MD). Powered by probiotics, these innovative formulas replenish key anti-aging elements the skin loses over time - antioxidants, micronutrients, peptides, fatty acids, and more. Probiotics have most commonly been associated with yogurt and dietary supplements known to improve the health of the digestive tract. Now, new science allows these beneficial topical probiotic treatments to help support the skin's immune system, combat imbalance and chronic disease, and re-awaken youthful processes within the skin that slow with age. Mybody skincare is clean, green and nontoxic. This is a Bioactive line which a fusion of botanicals and cosmeceuticals. The best of both worlds with no parabens or xenoestrogens.

How did she decide to open a medical spa? Sara laughingly calls herself an accidental med spa business owner. What kind of person makes the choice to return to graduate school at age 50? This girl! After a 26-year career as an RN, she knew a looming empty nest was her jumping off point.

Having exhausted her previous mid-life crisis hobby of metal smithing, Sara had a sense that she was not fulfilling her potential – that there was more that she was meant to do. “I needed to stop believing what I was thinking,” she says.

Wait…What? “I had allowed the fear of failure to limit my path in life” Sara explains.

“That I was too old to think about a new career, that no graduate school would accept me.” She applied to graduate school confident that when she got her rejection letter, she would know that it just wasn’t meant to be and she could seek other options. However, her application was accepted and Sara put her nursing career on hold and attended Walden University to earn her Master's degree in Nursing as well as Nurse Practitioner certification and graduated the same year her youngest son did from high school.

With her new credentials APRN, FNP-C behind her name, Sara can now do what she was dreaming of - offer medically based non-surgical treatments to patients in her beautiful medical spa, and send them out into their world with new confidence, potential, and health. She brings with her, 10 years of experience in the fascinating and innovative field of facial aesthetics.

What is her favorite thing about her job? The relationships she has formed with her patients. “Women have an amazing ability to mentor and nurture others and when we know better, we have a responsibility to love and guide our sisters in their journey to beauty and wellness. What a blessing it is to make someone feel more beautiful with soft corrections. Her patients trust her – they believe her until they can believe for themselves.

“Most women don’t believe that self-care is a worthy investment in time & money,” says Sara. “We spend a lot of years focusing on the needs of our families and thinking things like . . . if I could just lose some weight, someday when I have the money, someday when I have the extra time, someday, someday….” Your ‘someday’ is TODAY,” says Sara. “Every experience I have had has brought me to where I am today – especially the ones that taught me what NOT to do. What have you always wanted to do? Listen to your heart and go do it!”

Sara, a longtime resident of Whitefish, enjoys volunteering for school and parish activities and events. Along with her husband Jon, they have raised 4 children in Whitefish. They enjoy their three beautiful grandchildren, Ryder, Addelyn and Atticus, as well as plenty of mountain and lake playtime.

Because she still likes to keep her finger on the pulse of the medical field, Sara is also on staff with North Valley Hospital, providing medical care to patients at the Montana Veterans Home – every Tuesday and she loves working with them. “I absolutely love the staff and patients there - some of them WW2 veterans. A veteran once said, “Funny - I tell you things about the war just like it was yesterday and it happened over 70 years ago! I never told anyone all this before.”

On her bucket list is Italy this November – when she was a kid her family spent nearly a year traveling around Europe. I always thought I would go back ‘someday’ and that day is coming very soon.

What’s next? Sara would love to add Trainer/Educator for med spa treatments and providers to her growing list of credentials.

Whitefish Aesthetics’ new location is at 22 Lupfer Avenue in Whitefish. Visit www.whitefishaesthetics.com for more information or follow them on Facebook for specials and events.

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Sage & Cedar

Find the Flathead Valley’s finest skin-care products in two locations

By Naomi Morrison Photo by Alisia Dawn Photography

Luscious skin is a sought-after trait. The youthfulness of shiny, smooth, soft skin. In 1991, a tiny shop in Whitefish brought a distinctive contribution toward caring for the largest organ of our bodies; the wellknown, Sage and Cedar.

Nicole James, owner of Sage and Cedar, opened the Whitefish store with retired partner Leslie Blair.

And, Chrissy Mills has been part of the family since 2005 as the store manager.

“It’s been a great way to be with my kids,” she said. “It was a slow-growth business and second income. Now that the kids are in college, it was a perfect time to start a second location.”

Last year, Nicole purchased a historic building in downtown Kalispell and opened her second location on December 2. With the recent revitalization of downtown, she saw a way of connecting with

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her clients in the revived area. Those who live in Bigfork, Polson and Kalispell are very appreciative of her being closer, and the second store is bringing in new customers too.

“Kalispell is a cool town,” she said. “It’s seeing some good vibes and positive movement.”

What we eat, how we sleep, how stressful our lives are, and what we put on our bodies affects the health of our skin. Applying strengthening products can revitalize. At Sage and Cedar, you can find bath and body products that are beneficial in addition to offering an assortment of essential oils to balance our mental health. Combing the skin product with oil can help with sleep, anxiety, stress and more. What a unique way to add a bit of goodness and exclusivity to each bottle.

For the most part, the product at the two stores is identical. “What we’ve learned so far is that people want what we have in Whitefish in the Kalispell store,” she commented.

But the Kalispell store has an added historical trait that Nicole used to fashion the look around the shop. Built in 1901, the brick walls become a rustic back-drop; turn-of-the-century molding demonstrate craftsmanship pride; and mixed in are lotions, bath enhancers, cozy evening dress, and, of course, a large selection of essential oils. Offering the benefit of the oils is how the business started, and that’s how it will continue.

“It’s the core of our business and interactive with the customer,” Nicole said. “It’s something we enjoy doing by helping them find the right fragrance.”

Sage and Cedar sells high-quality, organic skin and hair products while supporting local companies as much as possible. A few of Nicole’s favorites are Good Stuff Botanicals (Bigfork,) Gypsy Cream, Myrtle Leaf (Kalispell), SOAP (Flathead Valley), and Earth Tu Face.

“I’m a big fan of, ‘you get what you pay for.’ Quality is quality,” she said.

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What we eat, how we sleep, how stressful our lives are, and what we put on our bodies affects the health of our skin. Applying strengthening products can revitalize.

Before Nicole started Sage and Cedar, she went on maternity leave with her first child. After her son was born, she realized how much she wanted to spend time with him. So she founded a business that would allow her to take him to work with her.

As the food and health industry have boasted the importance of nutritious eating and moderate exercise to keep fit and vital, the skin-care industry began toting the benefits of having vigorous skin. And that’s where Nicole began considering the start-up of Sage and Cedar.

She wanted to get into natural skin care products because she valued the industry promoting the caretaking of our biggest organ. She recognized that to take care of it properly, we have to treat it like we care for our inside by providing beneficial nourishment. This type of business was a niche when Nicole started, but has grown steadily to be a trend now.

It’s been a learning process, but now she finds most of the cutting-edge information on the internet. Since, Nicole is mostly self-taught, she insists that proper reading and resources are important to successful education. And she uses her journalism background to dive deep in her research.

Spend some time at both Sage and Cedar locations, and take part in treating your body well. Located at 214 Central Avenue in Whitefish and now 227 Main Street in Kalispell. If shopping online is your preference, visit www.sageandcedar.com where you can find a large selection of the pure, natural and organic skin-care products.

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Community Believe it or not, Involvement

the credit

union is a place where people discuss, debate, even argue.

It’s hard to accept, but not everyone in the field of finance

Written by Josh Kroll

wears a green visor and crunches numbers, pulling on the lever of an adding machine. We get pretty real in here, behind these four walls. You don’t just manage millions of dollars of assets and answer to 25,000 shareholders who

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can walk through the door at any moment without airing some opinions and hashing things out from time to time.

There is always tremendous value in meeting people where they are and joining together with them in positive and memorable interactions.

Community involvement is a hot button in the banking environment, because it’s not always clearly viewed as a revenue generator. Senior executives would like to know how using serious credit union resources, time, and energy translates into dollars and cents. If a proposal does not contain a hard ratio or percent, why are they reading it?

May I suggest that there is always tremendous value in meeting people where they are and joining together with them in positive and memorable interactions. If folks love the credit union, they’ll do business with us. They’ll tell their friends. People remember the remarkable, without much additional distinction, and that’s the truth.

We try to create experiences through engagement, entering the local space of citizens to surprise and delight with random and unexpected value. Look for us, and understand that we don’t care what we’re supposed to do. We’ve discovered what we should do. That’s why you’ll see the Park Side posse this summer sauntering throughout the areas we serve and offering free money – yes, that’s a thing. If we are able to effectively inject ourselves into the public environment, we consider that a fruitful investment, and that’s a word to which the CFO lovingly relates.

Those credit union debates always center around good intention, progress, and ultimate positive impact. If an idea contains all three elements, it survives. One such example is #ParkSidePays – as in, it “pays” to bank here, and we “pay” for things – you benefit from our discussions, and it also makes business sense. It all comes back to that one ambitious Park Side core value: Make Banking Fun. Summer is the perfect time to do it.

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Changed lives

Meet the Weaver’s

By Mary Bryan

Ever thought about being a foster parent?

Child Bridge has a simple and focused mission… to find and support foster and adoptive families for Montana children in need.

There are a record number of children coming into foster care and over time, some of these children become in need of permanent families. Even when children need permanent families, the journey begins by the family fostering the children first. It’s here, that the simple mission of Child Bridge changes lives.

The stories of transformation are powerful and inspiring…. like the Weaver family. This special Helena family entered the foster care journey with hearts committed to helping kids in their time of need, and caring for the children’s biological care givers and extended family as well.

Tell us about your family:

We are Jonathan and Emily Weaver, from Helena, and as of April 2016, we now have THREE daughters.

McKenna, our oldest, is six and is finishing up kindergarten. She is one of the kindest people we know; God has blessed her with a compassionate heart for those in need. Clara is four and about to complete preschool at home. She is our strong-willed one, yet she is always looking around for some way to help; she is our busy little bee! Lydia will be two in August and keeps us on our toes. She is always trying to make her sisters laugh and will do just about anything to make sure that she succeeds at it. We brought Lydia home from the hospital as a foster child on August 8, 2014, but it was not until April 5, 2016 that we adopted her.

It has been a long, arduous road to say the least, but we are so grateful that we get to be her family. God has been faithful.

What activities do you enjoy as a family?

We enjoy spending our “free time” as a family outdoors – biking, hiking, camping, or geocaching (our latest and greatest discovery of getting our girls to hike long distances for all sorts of “treasures”). Each week we really look forward to our Friday night family

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movie (and homemade pizza) night, which has been a multi-generational tradition in both of our families.

As a busy, young family, it’s usually the only time all week that we get to sit and veg! We also love to travel and explore new places as a family.

What intrigued you about adding to your family with adoption?

After going through two very difficult pregnancies and deliveries, we decided to look into adoption as a way to continue grow our family. God has blessed us far beyond what we deserve. We wanted to be able to share the love, hope and resources that He has entrusted to us, and we felt that foster care would present an opportunity to be able to do this with not just one, but hopefully many, many children in their time of need. We also thought that it would be a wonderful way for our young children (2 and 4 at the time) to be able to see the world through a different lens than that of the “American dream”. They would learn to love without end. They would learn how to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And they would learn and would step up in ways that we never could have imagined possible at the time.

Once we started looking into becoming foster parents, it seemed like everywhere we went the topic would pop up in some manner or another! Then, Child Bridge made a presentation at our church in February 2013, and shared about the desperate need for foster families in Montana and some of the heart-wrenching stories.

And while we know that not everyone can or should foster or adopt, we felt that we were definitely called … we knew that we had to do something. We took the foster care training in March 2014 and got our first call in April for a 1-year-old boy (whose mother was pregnant) needing to be placed into care. We picked him up that night. In the blink of an eye, we had no idea how our lives would be forever changed.

We fell in love with this little boy, “Buddy”. His big brown eyes and his loving spirit. It was amazing to watch how he progressed from the day we got him until the day that we had to say goodbye. He did not make a sound for the first few weeks that we had him.

He did not smile, laugh or coo. Fast forward 8 months to the day that he went to go live with his biological father; Buddy smiled, he laughed, he ran and said his first words. The headway that he was able to make by simply being loved and cared for was something

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Child bridge

A child born to another woman calls me mommy. The magnitude of that

tragedy & the depth of that privilege are not lost on me. that we will never take for granted. Buddy continues to progress in overcoming his developmental physical delays and is definitely being loved and well taken care of. Although a big piece of each of our hearts left when we said goodbye to Buddy, we are so blessed to be able to keep in contact with him.

While caring for that sweet little guy, we had the privilege of welcoming his newborn sister into the world; and yet, we strongly felt the heartache of leaving the hospital with someone else’s child. We endured a lot of ups and downs with this foster placement, but just kept focused on caring for her as long…or as short… as God wanted. After almost 2 years, we’re so happy to say that we were able to adopt this sweet little girl, Lydia. Our hope is to be able to continue a healthy relationship between her and her brother as well as her paternal side of the family.

How were you introduced to Child Bridge?

Child Bridge came to our church and shared about the need for foster families and about what the journey is like. After listening to their stories, we knew that we needed to answer to this calling. It’s ironic that at the time there were about 1,800 kids in Montana foster care. Now, there are over 3,100, with less than half the families needed to care for them.

How was the transition for your family?

As we quickly went from a family of four to a family of six, we had to learn what our new normal would

look like with four children under four! Even still, it seems the transition was about as smooth as it could be. Each of us had to learn where we needed to give of ourselves to make it work. Thankfully, we are blessed to have extremely supportive family and friends that have helped us out along the way. We can’t stress enough how important it is to have strong supports going into this.

What is the most positive change that has occurred in your family dynamic?

The greatest joy for us has been watching our “big girls” adapt to having foster children in and out of the home and now a new sister, whom they adore. We often tell them that we could not take care of these children without their wonderful help, love, and flexibility.

It has definitely opened up McKenna and Clara’s eyes to our hurting world, and we believe they will be better adults having had this experience.

Can you describe any struggles that you may have had that would help other families looking to foster or adopt?

For us, most of the struggles involved the journey through the foster and legal system…it can be complicated. A lot of the time we just had to smile and nod when the department told us that they were adding visits or changing therapies, etc. The foster parents do not have much say when it comes to the legal proceedings.

Jody Landers

We have had a lot of people say “I couldn’t foster; I’d get too attached to the kids.” That is exactly the point.

Our job is show these children what it is to love and to be loved. If a piece of our heart does not leave when they leave, then we have not succeeded. God has been faithful to fill us up when we thought we had been sucked dry.

At the heart of adoption and foster care there is complicated and continuous grief, yet we hold onto hope that we might be a reflection of God’s love in return.

Did you have a strong support system through family and Child Bridge?

Child Bridge has been a wonderful outlet and support to us. They reached out to us to offer support wherever and whenever we needed it. They reminded us to stay the course! We’re glad they are expanding across the state to serve children and families in many communities… more foster families are needed, and they need a variety of supports once they come on board.

And, we are so blessed by the prayers and support of our family and friends; not sure we would have made it through some of those dark, challenging days without them. Emily’s brother and sister-in-law are also foster parents, and it’s been really special to share our journeys together!

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For more information on Child Bridge visit www.childbridgemontana.org.

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Homelessness

Take A Picture

Reprinted with permission from the Samaritan House

Colloquial phrases are interesting.

These regional ways of saying things can be endearing if the message is positive, or very alienating if the connotation is negative. Where I grew up, if a person stared too long at someone else, the intrusive viewer was often met with a curt, "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Hint, hint... Stop staring because its rude.

For a child, this is easier said than done. I don't think kids stare with the intention of being mean or creating awkward situations. Instead, many children are naturally curious and things they don't understand attract their attention.

Not to gawk, but to process.

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Especially, when they see someone who doesn't look like them‌

The school at their lunch table with no lunch. The older gentleman with the crooked haircut and shabby army jacket. The lady wearing clothes from the thrift store. A hungry man holding a sign declaring his exasperation for the rest of the world to see.

Take a picture, it will last longer.

Only, it won't.

Back in the day, taking pictures meant carrying around a small, but clunky device that held film. Now, snapping a picture is second nature to anyone with a smartphone or tablet. Kodak has been replaced by Kardashian. Today, we live in a viral world where social media dictates and drives our habits and daily trajectories.

The scenes we see are snapped, downloaded, posted, reposted, and liked in a matter of seconds. We have become experts at viewing life in a detached mode of bystanding. Taking pic-

tures does not last as long as it used to because we probably delete 20 for every one we keep.

It's the pictures we internalize and hold captive in our minds that truly transform our lives.

Those moments we see something that becomes inescapable because of the context. We don't just recall the homeless lady on the corner, but we can feel the wind whipping against our face. We remember we were hungry as we walked past her on our way to lunch. We empathize every time we close our eyes and resurrect the image. We don't gawk... We process.

But then what? These tangible memories are wasted unless we use them as motivation to help others move forward. If you are reading this blog, then you have some interest in helping eliminate homelessness in Kalispell and the surrounding areas. But what are you doing besides reading? How can we take and channel a desire to do right into a proactive way of living?

Maybe we should all take more pictures.

Samaritan House is a homeless shelter and transitional living program in Kalispell, Montana. The mission of the Samaritan House

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is to provide shelter and basic needs for homeless people, while fostering self-respect and human dignity.

124 9th Ave West, PO Box 592 Kalispell, MT 59903 www.samaritanhousemt.com

Bringing Haven Back Home to Montana Written by Susan Clarke Photo by Cathy McNally

I was finishing up leading a month-long program, Living Alive up at The Haven in BC, Canada when I realized I had this 406 Woman article to write. I had been so involved in leading the program, that I had totally forgotten my writing deadline and had no clue what to write about! It never dawned on me to write about the obvious.

So, today I thought I would write about The Haven (www.haven.ca), a little island-based, transformational learning, non-profit center, which has carried on for more than 30 years, up in BC, Canada. I hope I provide you with many reasons to make a trip.

I learned about The Haven when I was battling cancer and was given three months to live. My sister Penny from Seattle invited me to join her for a program called, Come Alive.

My doctors were not too happy, and actually thought I was crazy, when I announced I was traveling from Richmond, VA to Gabriola Island Canada to take a five-day program.

Heck, I was dying.

I had nothing to loss.

So I went.

Those five days turned my life around. I was so inspired by the leaders: their way of loving, and their open, honest way of being with people. They were not trying to fix me or anyone else, but simply listened, supported and modeled vulnerability, curiosity and faith.

I wanted what I was witnessing.

I wanted that more than I wanted a cure for my cancer.

I wanted to learn to relate with that level of authenticity and alive-ness, even if it only lasted a few months.

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that those cancers kept coming back. I was learning how to live whole-heartedly and create quality relationships. My life was getting better and better as I went.

I loved it so much that I trained to become one of those inspiring leaders. So did CrisMarie, my partner in work and life for 15 of the last 30 years. We continue to have a dynamic, passionate, creative relationship. Together we lead Come Alive and Couples Alive. I also lead Living Alive, and Living It! I continue to love every minute of my being with people in such a transformational way and witnessing them come alive!

My work at The Haven is so much a part of my core that I simply forget to speak about or write about it. Some might say The Haven cured my cancer, but that isn’t what I say. No. The Haven offered me something much more profound.

The Haven taught me I didn’t need a cure. I was not sick or broken. Living wasn’t about the how long I lived, but how fully I lived.

The Haven taught me that life was not about being loved or whom I love, but about enjoying and experiencing my loving.

The Haven taught me that loving is a verb and not always soft, comfortable and sweet – instead real, raw and riddled with bumps and cracks that are sure to let the light in.

I wondered what others might say about their Haven experience. So, I asked my past participants. Here is what they said:

· Faith in myself and my ability to connect with others.

· Energy and purpose that I thought was lost. · The courage to identify when I am sticking myself, and to make a shift while being gentle and compassionate with myself and others in my life. · Overcoming my desire to run because I don’t have the level of control I want. Also, being able to hang in and not have to get control. · Discovering the value in someone giving me honest straight feedback, and discovering the impact I am having on others – not collapsing but appreciating the realness! ·Getting to see my patterns, work on them, and not change, but become compassionate and faster at self-correcting and moving forward. · A new love of life that isn’t dependent on someone else being different! · Discovering my own voice, and the value of speaking up and sharing my experience. ·Skills to communicate in a way that builds rather than tears apart my relationships These are just a few of the wonderful nuggets I got back. Many of these responses came from people who had taken the program two or more years ago and wanted to let me know the results were sticking!!

Why The Haven Might Be For You?

I talk to lots of people wrestling with the various challenges of being human. It seems many of us think we are broken and are seeking a fix or simply wishing for a better planet.

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Maybe you are wrestling with: · a health issue · a relationship issue · or, have a yearning for something more and just don’t quite know what it is or how to figure that out.

I don’t want to make it sound like The Haven is going to provide all of the answers. It’s not. That is your job, which is the beauty. The Haven offers something better than answers – a space for your questions, for discovery and for coming alive in living life well together. The Haven provides a path for you to come home to yourself and connect with others in an authentic way.

I live in Montana because I love the people, the pace and the wide-open spaces. My life is so rich and made richer through my regular excursions to lead programs up at The Haven.

I bring home the tools I have learned for relating and embodying vulnerability and curiosity in all the challenges that life presents. By no means do I pretend to do that perfectly, but I am better at making mistakes and recovering through being self-responsible and relational. I bring that into my work with leaders and their teams, couples who run businesses, and people who want to increase their Leadership Mojo through working with me and the horses.

So it sure seems fitting upon my return home, to share a little bit of The Haven with Montana!

Ed Note: The Haven is a centre for transformative learning, located on beautiful Gabriola Island in British Columbia. Visit www.haven.ca for more information.

Susan Clarke and CrisMarie Campbell are Coaches, Consultants and Speakers at thrive! inc. (www.thriveinc. com). They help business leaders and their teams use the energy of conflict, rather than avoid or defuse it, to get to creative, innovative, profitable business results. You can see their TEDx Talk: Conflict – Use It, Don’t Defuse It! on YouTube. They would be happy to coach you, consult with your team, or to speak at your next event. Contact them at thrive@thriveinc.com.

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Protecting Your Vacation Home

By Kelly O’Brien, Attorney at Law

Summer is a time when individuals from far and near return to their vacation homes in the Flathead Valley. Whether you are a snow bird that spends half the year in western Montana, or simply spend holidays at your vacation home, proper planning for your vacation home is essential. Without proper protection and planning for your vacation home, your Montana get-away may become a burden for your family rather than a treasured asset.

Create a Separate Entity to Protect Your Vacation Home

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) can be a great tool for protecting your other personal assets from the potential liability associated with your vacation home. By placing liability on a separate entity, a LLC can help to protect your family from personal liability, including creditor claims or liability associated with accidents occurring in the home.

In addition, a LLC can also be helpful in transferring interests in your vacation home to family members, as well as establishing guidelines for the use of the home. To ensure the success of the LLC for your vacation home, an operating agreement is essential. A well-planned LLC operating agreement will encourage your family members to share in the management and take responsibility for the use and maintenance of the property.

The LLC operating agreement should address the allocation and payment of taxes, maintenance, and other expenses associated with owning and improving the vacation home over time, as well as how to decide on maintenance and improvement costs. In addition, the operating agreement should adequately discuss how the property can be used, by when and by whom, and how and when mem-

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bers can transfer or sell their membership interests.

Similarly, the operating agreement should set out what to do in the event one member does not pay his or her contribution towards expenses or fails to follow the guidelines for use of the home.

Establish Agreements for the Use of Your Vacation Home

If you rent, sublease, or even allow friends or family members to occupy your vacation home while you are not present, ensure that you have agreements governing the use of your vacation home. An agreement that properly addresses the use and rules for your vacation home will protect you from disputes and potential liability.

First, if you rent your vacation home to third parties, either as a short-term vacation rental or on a longer term basis, make sure that you have rental contracts that adequately address potential liability.

At a minimum, your rental contract should include: payment and cancellation policies; damage to both real and personal property; personal injury liability; and compliance with any local laws or ordinances.

There may be zoning or neighborhood use restrictions that address short-term rentals in your area.

Additionally, there may be local hotel or resort taxes that apply to the rental of your vacation home.

Make sure you check into these issues and discuss with your attorney prior to renting your vacation home.

If you don’t want to take extra time to manage the maintenance, scheduling and contracts for your vacation home seek, assistance of a professional vacation rental agency. A rental agency can assist with planning, scheduling, cleaning and maintenance activities, as well as rental agreements to cover your vacation home. It is a good idea to interview the agency and review their standard rental contracts prior to signing an agreement for the rental of your vacation home.

If you allow family members to use your vacation home at different times when you are not present, it is a good idea to have an overall agreement for the use of your vacation home. This can be a very simple calendar or schedule for dates when different family members will be in town, or it can be a more comprehensive set of guidelines that are similar to an operating agreement. In addition to scheduling, you may want to consider issues such as cleaning, maintenance, supplies, and rules for additional guests. By setting out a few guidelines

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Vacation Home

A vacation home can be a place for your family to create many memories. By taking a few steps to protect your vacation home, you will provide peace of mind for yourself and your family and ensure that it remains your cherished get-away for years to come.

for your family’s use of your vacation home, you can help reduce disputes and help distribute costs between your family members.

Ensure that You have Adequate Insurance for Your Vacation Home

Adequate insurance coverage for your vacation home, especially if you rent your vacation home, is essential. Most standard homeowner’s policies do not cover vacation rental activities or personal liability coverage. With this in mind it is important to obtain additional coverage for any vacation rental activities. This includes coverage for protection from lawsuits by third parties, replacement of damaged property, and loss of rental income.

Moreover, if your vacation home is on a lake or river, you may want additional coverage to cover the potential additional risks associated with properties in locations near water. Speak with your insurance agent about the potential risks and special coverage for your vacation home to make sure that you are adequately covered by your insurance policy.

Make Sure Your Estate Plan Addresses Your Vacation Home

Many vacation homes have a strong emotional tie for your family. Without proper planning, your family’s vacation home can be a great source of disputes and create financial burdens for your family in the future. It is important that your estate plan addresses your vacation home, especially if your permanent residence is outside of Montana.

If your estate plan includes a revocable living trust, make sure that your vacation home has been properly transferred to your trust. A trust can be a great tool for holding a vacation home for the benefit of your family, as well as direct the distribution of the home to your children or grandchildren.

In addition, a trust keeps your vacation home out

of probate and less likely to be subject to claims of creditors. However, a trust is only an effective planning tool for your vacation home if the title to the property has been transferred to the trust.

It is not enough to simply list your vacation home on the list of assets held by your trust. To properly transfer real estate to a trust, you need to execute a deed conveying the property to the trustee of your revocable living trust.

There are tax and financial implications for transferring your vacation home at different times and though different mechanisms. Discuss the tax implications of transferring real property during your lifetime or upon your death with your estate planning attorney and tax advisors.

Discuss Your Wishes With Your Family & Seek Professional Advice

A vacation home can be a place for your family to create many memories. By taking a few steps to protect your vacation home, you will provide peace of mind for yourself and your family and ensure that it remains your cherished get-away for years to come.

Discuss your goals and concerns about your vacation home with your family members to create an overall plan to address potential disputes and liability. Once you have discussed these issues with your family, work closely with your CPA, attorney and financial and tax advisors to ensure that your vacation home is protected for you and your family.

If you have specific questions about any of the techniques discussed in this article, Contact Kelly O’Brien at Measure, Sampsel, Sullivan & O’Brien, P.C. at (406) 7526373/ www.measurelaw.com

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Disclaimer- This article is intended for educational and information purposes only, it is not intended to act as legal advice.

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Mental Health Awareness Tips for Handling Stress

By Michael Edwards, M.A., LCPC, LAC

Mental health issues are some of the most confusing and overlooked health problems today. Roughly 18% of Americans ages 18 and up experienced some form of mental health issue in the last year and over 8% of adults had a substance use disorder. Mental Health issues and addictions are problems that affect us all, and the best way to prevent or treat these illnesses is with early screening and treatment. According to the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, up to 90% of individuals who could benefit from mental health and addictions counseling do not seek treatment.

The correlation of these problems is something that is often overlooked. It is not unusual for those struggling with mental health issues to also have a substance abuse problem. Conversely, over half of the people with a substance abuse problem may have also have a mental health diagnosis.

Research supports the efficacy of outpatient counseling when it integrates both mental health and substance misuse assessment and treatment. Even if someone does not have a co-occurring substance misuse disorder, but are being treated for depression, anxiety, stress management, PTSD, or relationship issues, it helps to screen for any history of substance misuse.

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Individuals concerned about their use of alcohol/ drugs and/or mental health issues should consult their physician and/or a counselor licensed in both mental health and addictions.

Fortunately, there are ways to help prevent the onset and development of mental health and substance misuse disorders. Stress that is not properly managed is related to a number of chronic health issues including anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension, hypertension, gastrointestinal issues and alcohol/drug misuse.

Some ways that you may be able to better manage stress:

1. Alcohol/drugs: Abstain/reduce your use of alcohol to less than one drink a day for women, and less than 2 drinks a day for men.

2. Supportive, compassionate connections: Establish and maintain these connections with individuals (and pets!).

3. Natural environments: Environmental

stressors including excessive noise, crowding, and lack of green spaces have been demonstrated to increase psychophysiological symptoms of stress.

4. Physical exercise: This is one of the best ways to reduce stress (please consult with your physician before beginning an exercise regimen).

5. Deep breathing, mindful meditation:

Research supports the efficacy of exercises which help

reduce emotional reactivity and improve one’s ability to respond as opposed to react to stressors.

6. Effective communication:

Communicating one’s thoughts and feelings can relieve stress. It is especially important to convey difficult feelings, not be passive or repress feelings, or alternatively become aggressive and offend others.

7. Challenge the automatic negative thoughts: Move beyond automatic negative

thoughts (ANTS) and limiting self-beliefs by actively challenging the negative narrative you may be replaying about yourself. Try using humor and selfacceptance to challenge the inner critic.

This is only a partial listing and of course, individuals may have their own stress management techniques.

Prevention is the operative word in healthcare.

By improving one’s ability to manage stress and addressing risks associated with mental health and substance misuse early on, the better chance we have at improving individual and family overall health and well-being.

Michael Edwards, M.A., LCPC, LAC, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Counselor, at North Valley Hospital Behavioral Health; licensed to treat both mental health and addictions. He sees individuals for depression, anxiety, stress management, PTSD, addictions and for marriage/couples counseling. For more information please call 862-1030 or go online at www.NVBehavioralHealth.org.

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Misconceptions in Skincare Part III

By Erin Blair, Licensed Esthetician and Certified Health Coach

In the skincare world, it’s common for Estheticians to spend much of their time teaching clients to unlearn many bits of misinformation they’ve collected about the care and feeding of their skin.

Some of these erroneous tidbits are passed on through well-meaning friends or family members. Some come from fear-mongering ‘natural’ skincare companies that rely on misinformation as a marketing tactic. Yet others hail from the vast and perilous final frontier of ‘bad information’...You guessed it. The Internet.

Regardless of the origins, please allow me to set the record straight. Let’s roll up our sleeves for the final of my three part series on the many misconceptions we Estheticians are faced with inside our skincare practices.

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Silicones are ‘bad chemicals’

Somehow, a common family of ingredients generally referred to as silicones has become the latest demon of the skincare industry. Actually, ‘silicone’ is not an 46 406

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ingredient name in and of itself. Ingredients with the suffix ‘-cone’, are the easiest way to recognize them. Originally derived from the mineral silica, Dimethicone and phenyl trimethicone are popular forms in skincare.

Silicones give products a smooth consistency for application. They provide a silky feel in skincare formulations. They also help to lessen the appearance of uneven texture such as large pores, fine lines, or other imperfections, thus making them popular additions to many products.

Unfortunately, silicones have gotten a bad rap. I’ve heard concerns that they suffocate the skin, trap other ingredients against the skin, that they mimic estrogen, and cause cancer. The truth is, in a skincare product they do none of that.

The most common complaint I hear is that dimethicone and its’ chemical cousins cause breakouts. Silicones are actually a very skin-friendly group of ingredients that provide breathability and do not clog pores in the least. They do, however, facilitate

penetration of other ingredients in the formula. This means that if there are pore-clogging, or otherwise irritating ingredients mixed in with silicones, you could definitely suffer adverse consequences. But the issue is not from the silicones themselves. There is something else in the product that your skin doesn’t agree with!

Handmade skincare is superior to store bought

I love a good entrepreneurial enterprise as much as the next gal, but when I stop by a skincare booth at a farmer’s market or local bazaar, I get depressed.

Why? Because these products are

1. Created by someone with no skincare

formulation training, which means they are usually packed with cloggy ingredients and irritating or phototoxic essential oils (which can be extremely dangerous, actually)

2. Typically lacking a preservation system to prevent the bacterial and fungal growth which promotes spoilage

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My advice is that if you have problem skin, acne, tend to break out in rashes, or are looking for products that are capable of reducing the signs of aging...stick with professionally formulated skincare that’s manufactured in a reputable lab.

3. Usually making some claim they have no right to (for instance, their ‘acne products’ are almost always filled with acne-promoting ingredients such as Shea butter and coconut, olive, sweet almond or hemp oils My advice is that if you have problem skin, acne, tend to break out in rashes, or are looking for products that are capable of reducing the signs of aging...stick with professionally formulated skincare that’s manufactured in a reputable lab.

Toothpaste is a good spot treatment for blemishes

Um, no. I can see where this originated from, though. Many types of clay, such as rhassoul, are good for spot treating breakouts. So someone probably thought, hey, toothpaste is kind of like clay!

While the paste may dry the skin, it also contains very irritating ingredients that can lead to further breakouts. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) and minty oils are the main culprits behind toothpaste related blemishes. In fact, in my practice I can usually spot a messy tooth brusher by the breakouts around the corners of their mouth. Better to just keep the paste in your mouth, where it belongs ;) Thanks for joining me on this information adventure! I hope you’ve found it useful. I’ve certainly enjoyed putting it together for you.

Erin Blair, LE CHC owns Skin Therapy Studio, where she embraces a creative method of treatments, products and coaching to get skin clear... and keep it that way. It's a 'whole person' approach to difficult skin concerns. Visit SkinTherapyStudio.com for more info, and to submit questions for Ask the Skin Coach.

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Tackle Menopause like a Queen!

By Kimberley Forthofer, ARNP

Menopause, with the depletion in estrogen, is defined as the absence of menstrual periods for 12 months. The average age of menopause is 51, though changes in hormones or perimenopausal changes can begin several years prior to menopause. Changes associated with menopause include menstrual irregularities, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbances, weight change, sexual dysfunction and cognitive changes. The aforementioned list may provoke fear in even the most optimistic, but rest assured, not every woman’s menopausal transition is difficult! And thanks to our ever expanding understanding, menopausal symptoms can be managed with approaches ranging from simple lifestyle changes to innovative new drug therapies.

You’ve heard it before …. you are what you eat

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and mental changes associated with menopause.

Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Estrogen has been found to have some cardio-protective benefits within the small vessels of the heart, though the benefits of estrogen in women older than 50 has not been as clear. Therefore, estrogen replacement is not recommended to reduce risks of cardiovascular disease. Risk factors for heart attack and stroke include a family history of cardiovascular disease, being overweight or obese, smoking, high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Adhering to a Mediterranean Diet, which is high in vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and healthy oils, with minimal intake of red meat, along with regular exercise of at least 30-60 minutes most days of the week, can reduce the risk of heart disease. Additionally, healthy eating and exercise can improve mood and memory, help maintain a healthy weight and bone density and reduce hot flashes.

“It’s gettin’ hot in here”

You’ve layered your clothing, avoided spicy foods, hot drinks and even an evening night cap; you’ve been sleeping in a freezer and there is still no relief from hot flashes and night sweats! The most effective and reliable treatment of hot flashes remains hormone therapy. There are some risks

associated with hormone therapy, which include breast cancer, endometrial cancer and coronary heart disease. However, these risks also increase with increasing age. When hormone therapy is started early, near menopause, the benefits outweigh the risks. The majority of women of younger age are appropriate candidates for hormone therapy, even if they have familial cancer risks. There are various delivery methods of hormone therapy including tablets, patches, creams/gels, and rings. Vaginal estrogen therapy, which will be discussed below, carries with it very minimal risk, whereas the remainder of methods are fairly equivalent in their cancer risks. However, transdermal estrogen may be more appropriate for individuals with high cholesterol or those at risk for liver disease. It is important to understand that bioidentical hormone therapy is no safer than other forms of hormone therapy. There are many formulations of bioidentical hormone therapy available in brand and generic names at retail pharmacies.

Other pharmacologic non-hormonal therapies for hot flashes and night sweats include antidepressants, anti-seizure medications and anti-hypertensives. Complimentary alternative therapies that have shown some benefits are black cohosh, isoflavones and phytoestrogens, which are available over-the-counter. Relaxation and stress management have also shown benefit.

health} “Tonight’s (NOT) the night”

Nearly 50% of women will experience vaginal dryness and pain associated with the depletion in estrogen during and after the menopausal transition, leading to decreased libido, difficulty with orgasm and arousal, and pain with intercourse. There are a variety of overthe-counter lubricants available, but many women still suffer pain with intercourse along with additional difficulties of recurrent vaginal irritation, urinary tract infections, and incontinence. Vaginal estrogen, available in creams, gels, tablets and compounded formulations, is an effective and safe option for treatment. There is also a relatively new vaginal estrogen treatment in the form of an oral pill, Osphena. It is available for women who cannot tolerate vaginal estrogen preparations and is novel in that it is an oral tablet that works only on estrogen receptors in the vagina, thereby increasing vaginal lubrication. It is important to note vaginal estrogens and Osphena have no benefit in reduction of hot flashes associated with menopause.

Menopause carries with it a negative connotation and with this we do

ourselves a disservice. Women may not readily identify the advantages of menopause such as the end of painful periods, PMS, and the unpredictability of periods. For other women, the fear of pregnancy is now removed and women and their partners can find greater sexual freedom. Women can also regain a renewed sense of self as they can now focus on their own needs. The menopausal transition should incite a woman to place attention back on her health and tackle the refinement headon, armed with understanding and confidence. **Kimberley Forthofer, ARNP joined Kalispell OB/GYN in July of 2013. She was raised in Whitefish and returned to the Flathead Valley after working for 4 years as a primary care provider in Idaho. She offers a wide range of experience in primary care as well as women’s health and her clinical experience includes both acute and chronic care. She and her husband, Joe, have two children and have enjoyed getting back to the outdoor recreational opportunities that Montana offers.

You’ve

layered

your clothing, avoided

spicy foods, hot drinks and even an evening night cap; you’ve been sleeping in a freezer and there is still no relief from hot flashes and night sweats!

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Pilates

for a Healthy Spine

By Delia Buckmaster, Pilates Teacher and CHHC

The summer months are generally active for everyone in Montana. There are countless parks, rivers, lakes, trails, open roads and long days. Some of our favorite activities include hiking, biking, rafting, swimming and golf. There are also the added activities around the house like gardening and yard work. All of this can put strain on our backs that can result in pain and stiffness and hamper our planned activities.

The principles of Pilates are consistent with an exercise program that promotes back health. In particular, learning awareness of neutral alignment of the spine and strengthening the deep postural muscles that support this alignment are important skills to help relieve back pain. Pilates improves strength, flexibility, and suppleness of the muscles of the hip and shoulder girdle. The program itself also teaches awareness of movement habits that may stress the spine, and helps you change these habits to those that preserve natural alignment. Awareness of excessive tension and the use of proper focus help you use the body efficiently. One of the most compelling benefits of Pilates is that it focuses on the entire body and not just the injured areas. Failure to address the whole body, rather than just the area of concern, may yield little or no relief.

Following these basic Pilates exercises will help recruit the deep core muscles, stabilize the spine and help decrease or prevent back pain.

Note: These exercises should be performed with permission from your healthcare professional.

Toe Taps: Targets Lower Abs

Starting Position: Lie on your back in a neutral spine position, knees bent, feet relaxed, arms by side.

Movement: 1. Inhale: Lift one leg, foot pointed, keeping a consistent angle of the knee 2. Exhale: Lower leg, touching mat with toe Tip: Avoid arching lower back. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Keep the 90-degree angle of the knee throughout the exercise.

Back Extension Prep: Targets Upper Back

Starting Position: Lie on stomach, legs together, front of hips flat on the mat. Hands are by shoulders, with elbows and nose on the mat.

Movement: 1. Inhale: Stabilize shoulder blades on back and contract abdominals. 2. Exhale: Raise upper body off mat 3. Inhale: hold position 4. Exhale: Return to start position

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Tip: Keep lower ribs and elbows in contact with mat; keep head in line with back. Feet stay in contact with the mat.

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Spine Twist On Back: Targets Abs

Starting Position: Lie on your back, arms by side (T-position for more support), legs in tabletop position (hips and knees in 90 degrees).

Movement: 1. Inhale: Lower legs to one side keeping opposite shoulder down 2. Exhale: Draw abs in and return to your start position Tip: Keep shoulders relaxed and shoulder blades on mat. Avoid arching the lower back.

health} Pelvic Tilt: Targets Pelvic Stabilizers

Starting Position: Lie on your back in a neutral position, legs parallel, knees bent, feet relaxed, arms by side.

Movement: 1. Exhale: draw abs in and curl pelvis slightly off mat 2. Inhale: return back to starting position Tip: Maximize lower back flexion. Engage your pelvic floor. Do not fire your glute muscles.

"Drinking Problem in the Summertime?"

By Exhale Wellness, Avis Cawdrey, RDN, LN

It's summertime! And with an increase in temperature and outdoor activities, proper hydration is more important than ever. Follow these tips to keep you hydrated while you play in the sunshine! · Make sure to drink enough water to prevent thirst in the first place. This is generally eight 8-oz glasses/day or two Nalgene bottles.

Chest Lift: Targets Abs

Starting Position: Lie on your back in a neutral position, knees bent, feet relaxed, fingers interlaced behind head.

Movement: 1. Inhale: no movement 2. Exhale: lift head and chest 3. Inhale: pause 4. Exhale: lower head and chest and return to start position

· Begin exercises and physical activity well hydrated. Plan on drinking more water the night before if you anticipate a big activity the following day.

Tips: Avoid tucking pelvis. Keep inner thighs connected. Keep head aligned with your spine when lifting your chest.

· For short (less than 60 minutes), lowmoderate intensity activities water is sufficient to replenish fluid losses.

Swimming Prep: Targets Back Extensors

Starting Position: Kneel on all fours, back in a neutral position, head aligned with your spine, hands under the shoulder, knees under hips.

Movement: 1. Inhale: extend opposite arm and leg 2. Exhale: return to start position (alternate sides) Tip: Avoid sinking in the shoulders. Keep your trunk stable. Keep head aligned with spine throughout the exercise. Lift the leg to the height of the hip only to avoid overuse of the lower back.

· For activities lasting over an hour, hydrate with a sports drink containing electrolytes and carbohydrates. Dilute your sports drink with 50/50 water for the appropriate solution of carbohydrates for best absorption. · Don't like sports drinks? Replenish fluid losses with coconut water, chocolate milk or a 50/50 juice-water solution. · The color of urine is good overall indicator of hydration status. Urine should be light yellow in color, not dark yellow, too smelly or cloudy.

Cat Stretch: Targets abs and middle back

Starting position: Kneeling on all fours, neutral spine, hands under shoulders, knees under hips.

Movement: 1. Exhale: round spine (flexion), return to neutral spine position 2. Inhale: extend spine, return to neutral spine position Tip: Focus flexion in lower back. Focus extension in the upper back. Stabilize your shoulders throughout.

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The Brain Gut Connection

By Dr. C. Claude Basler, DC Carlson Chiropractic Office Understanding the brain gut connection goes along with a very specific principle: Every effect has a cause and every cause has effects. The Gut is always growing and always changing to provide proper nourishment for your body. Now, when we talk about the Gut we are talking about the entire GI system (gastrointestinal system) not just specifically the stomach.

There are several factors when looking at the overall functionality of the Gut: the nerve system, quality of food, hormones, diet, disease, physiological factors and medication. We recognize that the quality of our food is a huge issue; we are not addressing that as we understand that natural is

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the way to go. Our area of focus is centered on the master controller of the body – the central nerve system and how it directly influences the Gut.

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Some common disorders that are widely known and associated with the gut are: GERD, IBS, celiac, diverticulitis, bloating, cramps, constipation and the list goes on. Often, many gut problems go unnoticed and people begin to think that a problem in the gut is a normal thing for them. It is estimated that 83% of Americans who have celiac disease are misdiagnosed with other conditions or undiagnosed completely. Think of it this way, initially a sign or symptom that your body shows is the first step to adapting and letting the body heal. A sign or symptom is your body’s way of trying to adapt to its environment. Now, if you have a failure to adapt then this sign or symptom can turn into something more complicated and lead to the beginning of the disease process.

health} Without proper nerve supply nothing can live and flourish. Organs supplied by impinged nerves exhibit pathological changes and the more serious the impingement, the more serious the damage – Henry Winsor, M.D.

The central nerve system directly regulates and controls the GI system. Chiropractors are focused on making sure that your entire body is working together as a unit.

Subluxations are what chiropractors are trained to locate and adjust if necessary.

A subluxation occurs within the spinal region not just placing undo stress on a specific spinal nerve, but specifically what the nerve is supplying information to: cells, tissues, glands, hormones, and the expression of life. As a direct result of a subluxation your body is not able to adapt and react properly to what you consume.

Understanding the brain gut connection involves brining the immune system into play. Roughly about 70-80% of the immune system is located specifically in the GI system. So, enter the subluxation into the cycle and what you will have is a failure to adapt/heal to your environment that you create. The acute stress response begins and then when the subluxation is left uncorrected you begin the chronic stress results. Chronic stress will plague the immune system throwing it into a constant quagmire and specifically altering your ability to process food. Your body’s ability to even digest food becomes limited and leads to the beginning of certain disease, enter Crohn’s, indigestion, constipation, celiac, IBS, etc. Without proper nerve supply nothing can live and flourish.

Organs supplied by impinged nerves exhibit pathological changes and the more serious the impingement, the more serious the damage – Henry Winsor, M.D.

Imagine when your central nerve system is not sending proper information to your gut due to a subluxation. When the body is or believes that it is in danger, many functions will become dysfunctional to ensure survival is at the top priority.

These changes in the body are occurring sometimes without you knowing changing your entire physiology and body chemistry, cells are altered and cytokines are being constantly released. Cytokines aid in the protective response of perceived danger or misfiring within the body. As a direct result of a subluxation your gut begins to be in a constant state of survival and protection mode from anything that you consume.

The brain gut connection is vital in properly allowing your bodies gut to heal. Can helping your gut begin with watching what food you are consuming? Most definitely, watch your sugar intake, not too much fried food, limit the carbs, eat natural, everything in moderation and so on. And yes, some people have a susceptibility to allergic reactions when consuming specific foods. Overall, besides individuals with the susceptibility to allergic reactions food avoidance is not healing the gut.

Specifically altering your diet based on an adverse reaction that you might have is not doing anything for you. Chronic inflammation in the gut is your body’s way of telling you that something is amiss. So, by creating a “food-log” and tracking what you eat and eliminating it from your diet is not addressing the true cause. In theory, you should be fully capable of eating whatever you want in moderation. When a disturbance is present in the nerves that supply information to the GI tract, various types of dysfunctions can occur. Properly establish your brain gut connection to make sure you are living your life to your fullest potential.

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Dental Anxiety Dental Phobes, Dental Weirdos... and all of us in between

by Dr. John F. Miller DDS

Welcome back to summer folks, isn’t it marvelous? Now, I’m writing this during some pretty fantastic late-May weather and hopefully June (when 406 Women hits the streets) can follow suit and validate my current enthusiasm. Warm sunshine is like CPR to my powder-withdrawn soul and I have a feeling this summer is going to be one for the books. Join me out there and share your healthy Montana smile with me.

Disclaimer: The following references to dental treatment do not include routine teeth cleanings, because those are spectacular!

As a dentist I know that receiving a dental procedure is no picnic. Somewhere in the future I imagine a young man coming to my house to take Nayvee, my daughter, to the Prom. Let’s call him Fred. “Now Fred,” I’ll say, “I’m a dentist and I’m curious about your approach towards oral health.”

Fred will respond, “Well geez Mister

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Miller I love going to the dentist.” At which point I tell Fred I’m concerned about his taking my daughter out that evening because based on his statement he is one of two things: a liar or a weirdo.

Now there are those outlying individuals who truly love dentistry and I mean no offense when I say, “that’s a little odd.” The majority of us, a statistician would label us “the Norm”, don’t mind dentistry but would just rather not. If the dictionary represented a list of things we would like to do Dentistry would start with a Z. Lastly, we have individuals with a real fear of anything relating to dentistry. I cannot call these folks outliers because they represent a statistically significant portion of the population. I invite everyone to continue reading, but the remainder of this article is aimed at this latter group.

A hot topic on a national level currently in dentistry is the topic of Access to Care. In other words, we are engaged

in the exploration of treatment barriers that are preventing people from receiving the care they need. One of these recognized barriers is Dental Anxiety/ Fear affecting an estimated 10 to 20% of the population. I really want the reader to think about what I’m going to say next: “It will never hurt or cost less that it does right now, and it will never be easier for your Dentist to fix than it is right now.”

that visiting the dentist is negative in any way. A bad dental experience can echo through generations. A grandparent’s unpleasant dental visit in the 1940’s can be the cause of young Bella’s dental fear in 2014. Dentistry, like any other industry, has come a long way.

Thanks to the many advances in dentistry made over the years, all of today's dental procedures should be pain-free.

What causes Dental Anxiety?

Another common cause of dental anxiety is the feeling of helplessness and loss of control during a dental procedure. It's common for people to feel these emotions considering the situation, sitting in a dental chair with your mouth wide open, unable to see what's going on. If you suffer from this type of anxiety you need to actively participate in a discussion with their dentist about your treatment. Ask your dentist to explain what's happening at every stage of the procedure. This way you can mentally prepare for what's to come.

Another helpful strategy is to establish

Fear of pain. To keep things brief, I’ll just say that unpleasant dental visits are the main contributing factor for this type of dental anxiety. The actual patient can make these visits themselves, or it is also very common for a young patient to have dental fear because of experiences shared with them by a relative or friend. Because of this we encourage all parents to never mention the word S-H-O-T or N-E-E-D-LE, and to never convey to their child

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Dental Anxiety

Now there are those outlying individuals who truly love dentistry and I mean no offense when I say, “that’s a little odd.” The majority of us, a statistician would label us “the Norm”, don’t mind dentistry but would just rather not.

a signal, such as raising your hand when you want the dentist to pause treatment. Using this signal whenever you are uncomfortable, need to rinse your mouth, or simply need to catch your breath can restore that sense of control needed to ease your dental concerns.

What Are the Options?

Ultimately, the first step to coping with dental anxiety is to discuss your fears with your dentist. Once your dentist knows what your fears are, he or she will be better able to work with you to determine the best ways to make you less anxious and more comfortable. If your dentist doesn't take your fears seriously, it’s time to find another dentist.

Upon discussing your concerns with your dentist, he or she might consider a therapeutic pharmaceutical to lessen your resistance to treatment. Most of us are well aware of the use of Nitrous Oxide, or laughing gas, in dentistry. This works great for young patients, or those adults with mild to moderate anxiety. A more contemporary approach to treating patients with mild to moderate anxiety is the use of anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines taken orally prior to treatment. These medications require more advanced monitoring of the patient but are considered very safe when the appropriate steps are taken.

For patients with severe dental anxiety, deep IV sedation and general anesthesia are available. This has been a common practice in the removal of wisdom teeth for years, but its use is becoming more and more common during more routine or lengthy dental procedures.

Imagine sleeping through your dental procedures. As I mentioned earlier, all of these options can be discussed in more detail with your Dentist.

Conclusion: As any returning reader knows, I’m obsessed with healthy Montana smiles. Especially the smiles of children. My mission in life is to brighten our lives here in MT by creating more healthy smiles. I’m trying to create a future of “Weirdos” who love going to their dentist. This can be accomplished by having great dental experiences as children. Parents, I’ll need your help at home and I thank you. Please have a great Montana Summer!

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New Satellite Clinic in

Hungry Horse

Access to affordable health care in the Flathead is an issue that has been identified time and time again. The Flathead County Community Health Needs Assessment recognized many reasons why an individual may not receive the health care they need – lack of insurance, cost of services, and difficulties in getting to medical providers due to lack of transportation. A new satellite clinic opening in Hungry Horse hopes to alleviate some of those issues. The Flathead Community Health Center, which is based in Kalispell, has begun providing family practice medical care at a satellite clinic in Hungry Horse at the Canyon Elementary School.

Known for providing quality medical, dental, and behavioral health care on a sliding fee scale basis (meaning cost of services is dependent on income of the patient), the Health Center is excited for the opportunity to provide care for patients who would otherwise have to get to Kalispell to receive services. “It is our goal to increase access to health care. This allows us to start bringing

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health services directly to the community, instead of the community having to drive to Kalispell to see us,” said Health Center Director Jody White. “Access to exceptional health care is key to the mission of the Health Center. We are excited to move forward with this collaboration with School District 6 and the community.”

This satellite clinic will be open every Thursday from 9am- 5pm and will offer family medical services such as treatment of acute and chronic illness, minor injuries, lab services, well-child visits, immunizations, sports physicals, family planning, minor surgical procedures and prescription assistance. Dr. John Tremper will be the primary physician on site and a behavioral health counselor will be available as needed.

The clinic will offer services on a sliding fee scale based on household income. Medicaid, Medicare, and most private insurances will also be accepted.

For more information on the clinic or to schedule an appointment, call the Flathead Community Health Center at 406-751-8113 or visit the website at flatheadhealth.org/fchc.

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Downtown Kalispell comes alive with rumbling engines this summer, when Flathead CARE hosts their annual “Glacier Rally in the Rockies,” on July 16, 2016.

Cars of all makes and models roll into the Valley to take part in this great family friendly event, and help raise funds for Flathead CARE’s youth programming.

The show kicks off the night before, with a companion event at Dairy Queen, on Friday night, July 15th, beginning at 6 PM. Randy Dutter and his Dairy Queen crew offer a free show for all participants at their restaurant lot, located at 19 Hwy 2 East (corner of Hwy 2 and 1st Avenue East), with music, prizes and lots of fun! Once the show ends at 8 PM, the cars light up their engines (You may want to bring your ear plugs for that part….) for an American Graffiti-style “Cruise the Drag” up and down Main Street, until 9 PM.

Saturday morning is the start of the Glacier Rally in the Rockies car show! Cars from all over North America take part in the parade down Main Street on Saturday morning, starting at 10 AM, and then line up on 1st Avenue West, from 10:30 – 2 PM, for the static show and shine. In past years, owners have traveled from all over Canada, as wells as, Arizona, California, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and North Dakota.

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By Kari Gabriel, Flathead CARE Executive Director

Prizes are given in several categories, and the entrants also receive 2 hands for the poker walk, sponsored by downtown merchants.

Show headquarters are in the 1st Interstate Bank lot, directly behind Norm’s News. Flathead CARE also has a hot dog stand, with proceeds also benefiting their youth programs. You will find the kids that benefit from the youth clubs, selling raffle tickets, handing out trophies, and helping with set up and tear down for the event.

Flathead CARE believes that everyone is of value and has something great to offer. By creating a safe place for youth to be themselves; we inspire young people to catalyze change in the world around them. As a community based 501(c) 3 non-profit, Flathead CARE provides drug and alcohol prevention, youth empowerment, and peer mentoring to middle school and high school students. Participants in our program help to create presentations, community events, and support groups for their peers, reaching over 10,000 families in our community.

Youth who have positive relationships are more likely to discuss bullying, ask for help, and succeed academically. In all our youth programming, we build as many positive relationships as possible, while also role mod-

eling positive behavior. We believe that everyone has something great to offer, and there are an infinite number of learning opportunities within relationships.

The majority of Flathead CARE’s funding come from individual and community sponsorships and donations, contract work with local coalitions and agencies, and fundraising events like this classic car show, middle school dances, family friendly concert events, raffles, etc. We are a United Way agency, but our allocation covers less than 1/3 of our executive director’s salary.

Glacier Rally in the Rockies

Vehicle registration is $30 per vehicle, and includes registration for the parade, show and shine, and 2 poker walk tickets. Complete registration forms (including all events), the parade route and more information are available on the Flathead CARE Website. Visit www.flatheadcare.org, then click on the blue Glacier Rally in the Rockies button, and follow the link to the car show Register button, and print out the registration form. You can also contact us at gabrielk@sd5.k12.mt.us or 751-3971.

www.McGoughandCo.com

131 Central Avenue Whitefish, MT 59937 406-862-9199 800-862-9199

M c G o u g h & C o ... W h e r e M o n ta na G e t s E n g ag e d

406contents Design 16. Bestow & Tablescaping 20. Bedroom Sets

406

love

28. Colette & Victor

...40

food & flavor 34. Hot Summer Whites 36. Cheesecake

Family

40. The Power of Food in Health 42. Spell Check

Music~Arts 46. GSC Summer!

50. A Steinway is a Sound Investment

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...28

Build a life

you don’t need a vacation from.

Tanya Gersh, Realtor

Luxury and Vacation home specialist PureWest Christie’s International Real Estate

Sold over 50% of all sales over $1M for 2016 in Whitefish *based on MLS statistics through May 2016

tan ya gersh

r e a lto r

cell 406.261.4830 email Tanya@PureWestMT.com

401 Baker Ave, Whitefish, MT 59937 WWW.whitefishlakerealty.COM WWW.purewestrealestate.COM

Cover Girl publisher

Cindy Gerrity

cindy@montanasky.net

business manager Daley McDaniel

daley@montanasky.net

executive editor

Kristen Hamilton

kristen@hamitupstrategies.com

director & design

Melissa Simpson

Melissa loves that she was born and raised in the Flathead Valley along with one other sibling. When she's not busy making beautiful smiles as a dental hygienist in Whitefish, Melissa is spending time with her two beautiful girls and amazing husband. Being a mom is one of her greatest passions.

Her 4 and 10 year old keep her on her toes. During her free time, she enjoys skiing, camping, rafting, hiking, and paddle boarding with her family and friends. She feels blessed to have such amazing and supportive family and friends and is

Flathead friendly, and

very grateful to be able to raise her children in the

Valley,

where activities are endless, people are beauty is everywhere.

Clothing provided by S.M. Bradford Co. P h o t o B y : K e l l y K i r k s e y P h o t o g r ap h y ( w w w . k e l l y k i r k s e y ph o t o g r aph y . c o m )

Sara Joy Pinnell

sara@mrsandmrpublishing.com

photographers

Amanda Wilson Photography Daley McDaniel Photography Alisia Dawn Photography Camp-n-Cottage Scott Wilson Photography Kelly Kirksey Photography

Business Girl Published by Skirts Publishing six times a year 704 C East 13th St. #138 Whitefish, MT 59937 info@406woman.com Copyright©2016 Skirts Publishing

View current and past issues of 406 Woman at

w w w . 4 0 6 W o m a n . c o m

Christine Carbo

Christine just finished her second novel, Mortal Fall, and is staring a book tour this summer. It was great getting to sit down and talk with this accomplished local author with an interesting background. her full story in our

Read

Business Feature.

Photo By: Scott Wilson Photography (www.scottwilson-photography.com) Correction: We want to recognize Donna at 33 Baker Salon and Angie D. at 33 Baker Salon for doing Erica's hair and makeup for the April/May cover. THANK YOU LADIES!

Want to know about great events, open houses, and more? Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/406 Woman 406 Woman is distributed in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Missoula, Whitefish and every point in between.

Check out www.406woman.com for our full distribution list.

Have a great story idea or know someone that we should feature? Email us with your comments & suggestions.

Interested in increasing your business and partnering with 406 Woman? Check out www.406woman.com.

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Checking In

w o m a n

Inspiration for me comes in many different forms and from many different people.

When putting together 406 Woman and reading all the great stories, I am inspired by so many people who are making a difference, educating our readers, and helping make our community a better place.

On a personal note, I’ve been greatly inspired by my 17 year old daughter, Sarah, lately.

Although she’s only in high school, I’ve watched her handle a few situations in the past couple months that would rattle most adults with dignity and grace. There are even a few times when my protective motherly instinct wanted to get in the middle and try to make things right and she reminded me that in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t worth it and to let it go.

She also took the initiative in the family with a trend of eating really healthy. We’ve always been pretty conscious of our eating and try to avoid most things processed but she’s encouraged us to go event further and together we are creating some really delicious (but really good for you) meals. I’m proud of the young lady she’s becoming and know that she’ll continue to inspire me and I’m certain others as well.

I ran across this recently and love it: Rule #1 of Life ~ Do What Makes You Happy.

Enjoy the Summer!

{

What you’ll find in this issue You’ll read about Nicole James with Sage & Cedar and her new second location in downtown Kalispell – she’s come a long way since opening her first location in Whitefish in 1991. See page 26 in our Business & Health section.

Please check out Dr. Siomos new column about the Power of Food in our Health.

This issue talks about dark leafy green vegetables and includes a delicious kale recipe.

See page 40.

Erin Blair wraps up her 3 part series on Misconceptions in Skincare with some interesting facts on Silicones and using toothpaste to spot treat blemishes on page 46 in our Business & Health section.

{

Our Talented 406

Meet

Mary Wallace…

contributors C. Claude Basler, D.C.

Family chiropractor, allowing you to express your true potential

Erin Blair

Licensed esthetician and owner of Skin Therapy Studio

Delia Buckmaster

Certified in pilates and an active health coach, owner of Exhale Pilates Studio

Brianne Burrowes

Founder of I Want Her Job and Senior Consumer Marketing Manager at NASCAR track Phoenix International Raceway

Kay Burt

Mother, Grandmother, native Montanan, legal assistant--a woman whose life is blessed beyond measure

Cris Marie Campbell

Master certified Martha Beck coach and consultant, co-owner of Thrive! Inc.

Kristan Clark

Co-owner of Bestow Heart and Home, designer and writer.

Susan B Clarke

Faculty at The Haven Institute for 20 years and co-owner of Thrive! Inc.

Brian D’Ambrosio

Accomplished writer and newly published author of “Reservation Champ’

Jen Euell

Program Director for the Women’s Foundation of Montana

Kari Gabriel

Exec Dir or Flathead CARE plus wildlife rehabilitator and educator

Kalispell OB/GYN Doctors & Practitioners

Board certified OB/GYN professional offering expert advice

Nancy Kimball

Marketing communications specialist at Kalispell Regional Healthcare, and career journalist

Marti Kurth

Public relations and marketing expert for organizations in the arts and music

Kristen Ledyard

Executive Chef and Owner of John’s Angels Catering

Resides: Kalispell

Notable Accomplishments:

John Miller, DDS

Three great kids all grown up

Naomi Morrison

My workweek always includes:

Specializing in general dentistry, Dr Miller provides expert advice Professional journalist, freelance writer and committed to the community

Kelly O’Brien, Esq.

Business law specialist with Measure Law Office, P.C.

Kristen Pulsifer

Writer, editor and owner of Whitefish Study Center

Karen Sanderson

Wine expert and owner of Brix Bottleshop in Kalispell

Miriam Singer

Talented writer and songstress, promoting music as Singer & Simpson Productions

Lucy Smith

Executive Director of the Flathead Community Foundation, believes that everyday philanthropy is changing the world

Gwen Sutherland

Owner of Marketing Bits, writing and design business

Mary Wallace

Mother of three and grandmother to two, is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up..

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For full bios for our contributors, please visit www.406woman.com.

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Profession:

Executive Assistant, Global Entrepreneur, and Writer

oman.com

Friday happy hour with the boss

My favorite outdoor activity is:

Glacier Park, Farmer’s Markets & Art Fairs

Every weekend you’ll find me trying to: Get caught up

When out for a meal, I always look for this on the menu: Something I’ve never tried before

When it comes to food, I can’t live without: Fresh Fruit

When it comes to electronics, I can’t live without: iPhone

My bucket list includes doing this in the next year: ITALY!

Copperleaf Chocolat company 239 Central Ave. Whitefish Mt. 406-862-9659

Things We Love Locally Made Artisan Chocolates, Luxurious Cashmere, Custom Sterling Silver Jewelry, Mary Frances Beaded Purses, Scarves, & Time Tested Books.

design}

A Taste of

&

Italy

Bestow Tablescaping Written by Kristan Clark of Bestow Heart and Home Photographed by Camp-n-Cottage

Join us

in Deruta, Italy for a little taste of vino and cheese! Actually, this inviting scene is in the middle of Kalispell, MT, but takes its color cue from the Deruta Pottery scattered across the table. The spectacular pottery is reproduced in major ceramic centers across Italy.

However, the hand painted pottery that is produced in the hillside town of Deruta is especially sought after and is the namesake for the beautiful pieces.

We wanted to demonstrate through the charming outdoor dining room that you can think outside the color box when dressing your summer spaces. Navy, orange, teal, and bright yellow on the crisp white background of the Deruta pottery are mimicked under the airy pergola. This tablescape is truly more about the setting that has been laid around the table, rather than creating an elaborate setting on the table.

The tablescape is simplicity itself, because after all, isn’t that the beauty of summer entertaining – a table that can be laid at a moment’s notice or whim?

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The eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories are especially welcoming. The wooden dining table is grounded by a sisal rug as if the indoors has spilled out onto the deck.

Antique chairs surround the table and a long bench overflowing with pillows in shades from our Deruta pottery provide comfortable seating. The chandelier adds a sense of intimacy, as do the filmy white curtains. A sideboard has some unique pieces that bring layered interest to the outdoor room. And of course summer flowers as a centerpiece and in pots around the deck are a must. What’s wonderful about creating such a rich alfresco dining room, is that it promises to beckon us time and again to linger over the sweet days of summer; coffee in the morning, a lazy afternoon with a book and icy lemonade, dinner under the stars, or perhaps a bottle of wine, cheese and bread. A taste of Italy in the middle of Montana.

Think outside the color box when dressing your summer spaces. Navy, orange, teal, and bright yellow on the crisp white background of the Deruta pottery are mimicked under the airy pergola.

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design}

Be Inspired

Why is the rooster such a prominent theme in Italian ceramics?

It dates back to the early Renaissance period in the Republic of Florence. The Medici family were the most wealthy and powerful family in the region, followed by the Pazzi family. The story goes that the Pazzi family hatched a plan to overtake the Medici family by suggesting a festival to Giuliano Medici, who loved to party.

The entire town was invited! The plot was to murder the Medici family members in the wee hours when they would be drunk and unaware. However, the plot failed when the assassins tried to sneak across a yard full of roosters whose noisy crowing set the alarm that trouble was afoot. The roosters have been memorialized in pottery ever since. Who knew that the whimsical pitcher on our tablescape had such storied history? We hope this tablescape inspires you to create a beautiful outdoor destiny and discover the interesting stories behind your collected items. It’s wonderful fun and makes for great conversation amongst friends on a warm summer evening.

Bestow Heart and Home 217 Main Street Kalispell, MT 406-890-2000 www.bestowheartandhome.com

You’ll find many of the furnishings and accessories featured in this article at BESTOW Heart and Home.

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Look for the “B” in Historic Downtown Kalispell

Call 406-890-2000 or visit www.bestowheartandhome.com for more information.

design}

bedroom sets styles that match you

By Wright’s Furniture

Rustic Chic

Metal Upholstered Bed

Industrial, rustic and modern, all crosslink within this bed. It has a tubular metal frame and is upholstered in textured, natural linen.

Traditional

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Poster Bed

Representing a classic style with a fashion flair, this bed features a rich, mahogany finish with elegant cathedral and swirl veneers.

design}

Transitional Upholstered

Shelter

King Bed

This bed represents modern style with a traditional design.

If you seek a contemporary flair but appreciate classic beauty, this collection offers you the best of both worlds.

Shown here with carbon fabric and dark wood.

Sleigh

Bed

Rustic

Bed

This bed features a blending of unexpected traditional, transitional and Neo-Classical forms with a casual, organic finish in lustrous caramel tones. Select pieces are accented by a crisp linen fabric and blue stone tops. The result is a fresh, energetic collection with a hint of eclecticism and a young vibe.

This bed features a beautiful mix of textured black hued reclaimed wood, smooth barn wood, and weathered gray accent wood. Inspired by classic mid-century western design, this line also features hand forged twisted metal hardware.

-Product featured is available at Wright's FurnitureWright’s has many bedroom collections available in stock and for special order. They also have bed textiles, bedding sets and a sleep center that features 17 Northwest Bedding mattress options.

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&

August 22, 2015

Colette Victor Photographed by Buffalo James Photography www.buffalojames.com

Who are you?

Colette: I am a marketing professional in the ski resort industry working at Whitefish Mountain Resort. I have a sister who is two years younger than me. I was born in Chicago, but my parents moved to Whitefish when I was 11, so raised in Montana. I'm “mama” to my beautiful daughter Magnolia, who is 18-months-old in June.

Vic: I'm a ski tech and sales associate at a retail store in Whitefish. I'm the oldest of six, with 16 years separating my youngest brother and me who all live in Michigan. I moved to Park City, Utah when I was 19 years old, and I spent 11 years of my life skiing and snowboarding and becoming the person I am today. Now I live in Whitefish with my wife and beautiful little girl.

How did you meet?

Colette: I moved to Park City after a graduating from the University of Montana and traveling for the summer. Unsure of my path, I decided to work at a ski shop for the winter.

Vic had lived in Park City for seven years at that point and worked at the same shop, and we shared many of the same friends. After I

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continued to show up at Vic's house to “hang out with his roommate” he finally got the hint.

The rest is history.

The Proposal?

We were both visiting Vic's family in Michigan, but I had returned to Park City a few days before Vic. He had purchased a ring while in Michigan, and was trying to figure out how he was going to pop the big question. At the airport he decided he couldn't wait to figure it out, so he called our roommate at the time and told him to get a bottle of champagne. Vic ran upstairs before me and got down on one knee. I was totally surprised and thrilled!

What is love?

Colette: Love is having a total understanding of one another. It's embracing everything about another person, and the change that comes along with living and growing.

Vic: Love is when you feel safe and nothing else matters at that moment besides the love you are feeling. Love is one of the best feelings in the world and there is nothing like it. When

you have love in your heart the possibilities are endless and it makes you a better person.

What do you love most about each other?

Colette: Vic is the most thoughtful person I know. He treats everyone he knows or is acquainted with the same thoughtfulness, and people notice. I love Vic's sense of humor; his unconditional love for his family and that he encourages me to be the best version of myself.

Vic: The thing I love most is the way Colette makes me feel when we are together. But, that's a really hard question to answer because I love everything about Colette. She's caring, thoughtful, kind and beautiful—she's the world to our daughter Magnolia, and she makes us both better people.

When did you know you were in love?

Colette: Sometime after the first couple of months we were dating. I hadn't planned on staying in Park City after the winter ended, and my roommate was moving back home, but I decided to stay with Vic. Everything happens for a reason.

love} stories

Love is having a total

understanding of one another. It's embracing everything about another person, and the change that comes along with living and growing.

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love} stories

Love is when you feel safe and nothing else matters at that moment besides the love you are feeling.

When did you know you were in love?

Vic: When I was working as a Back Shop Manager in Park City I worked late into the night— until 12, 2 or even 3 a.m. I'd go home, shower and then go to her house—she'd have to go to work at 8 a.m., and she'd come home and I'd still be in bed. We had crazy opposite schedules, but it worked for us. I'm not sure when the exact day was, but it was one of those days when I knew Colette was the girl for me and I was in love. I love her more and more every day.

Wedding Details We were married at the Great Northern Resort in West Glacier, Montana. When we got engaged I immediately knew that I wanted to get married close to where I grew up. We were still living in Park City at the time, and knew that our wedding was going to be a “destination” for most of our guests. Vic and I both have very large extended families, and the bulk of our wedding guests were family members.

It was really important to us to get married somewhere beautiful where our guests could have a great time outside of traditional wedding events. We went on a large raft trip before our rehearsal dinner, and most people enjoyed a few days in the park or in Whitefish before or after our wedding.

ding planner, was an absolute joy to work with and made our lives so much easier. My mom is a saint and did so much wedding prep leading up to the day, so it was nice to have Kelsey and her team take over and feel totally confident that they would set everything up perfectly, as well as clean up.

The Great Northern Resort was the perfect spot for our weekend, we rented all of their cabins and our wedding party and their dates stayed at the cabins with us. Kelsey, their on-site wed-

Honeymoon plans: Still up in the air! We had originally planned to go heli skiing in Alaska, but a tropical vacation is also looking pretty appealing.

Last summer was really smoky, so it was stressful leading up to the day because we had been planning for so long—we were engaged for nearly 2 years, and we wanted everything to be perfect. The day before our wedding, during our raft trip, it started raining and kept on throughout the night. We woke up the next morning to clear skies and the most beautiful day—it was incredible.

Our photographers, Jen and Matt DeLong of Buffalo James Photography, also helped make our day very smooth. We did a “first look” before the ceremony, and I would absolutely recommend that to anyone. It was really important to us to be able to spend cocktail hour visiting with our family and friends. It was a great way to be able to get all of the photos we wanted, while still being able to enjoy our wedding.

Venue: Great Northern Resort in West Glacier, Montana - Bride's hair & make up: Nikki Averill / Reecia's Salon - Dress: Gateway Bridal / Salt Lake City - Bridesmaid Dresses: BHLDN - Groom & Groomsmen Outfits: J. Crew - Flowers: Safeway in Whitefish Rentals: The Party Store - Cocktail Hour and Ceremony Music: Brent Jameson - Reception - Music: B&T Productions - Catering: Ian's Healthy Table - Cake & Cupcakes: Tina Meyer / A Whole Lotta Yum

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Hot Summer Whites

Feel like Pinot Grigio is a little passé? Want to sip and swirl something new this summer? Time to stir things up and learn about the hottest wine trends this season!

creamy, nutty overtones with notes of honey. This is considered one of Spain's finest white grape varieties.

Vina Heredia Tondonia Blanco, made to age to taste like bottled gold, $42.99

Shaya Verdejo, rated 90pts, this white is luxurious for $14.99

Vetiver Ontanon, let’s just call this a baby Tondonia. Amazing. $13.99

Don’t get me wrong, we love a nice Pinot Grigio every now and then. But after four years of running a wine shop, we’ve tasted some amazing other varietals from around the globe. It would be a shame not to share these amazing discoveries! Below are our favorite white wines to try this season.

Honoro Vera, rated 88pts and a steal at $9.99

Finca Antigua, $13.99

Lima Vinho Verde, a great patio pounder at $10.49

Ok, technically it’s not white. But it’s not red either, right? Pink wine has been all the rage for the past couple years. If you haven’t crossed to the pink side, you’re in for a treat.

When in doubt, go SPANISH

Martin Codax Burgans Albarino, a classic style for $13.99

Bargemone Cuvee Marina, Made in a classic Prevence style, $32.99

Viura/Macabeo

Miraval, made by Brad & Angelina at the French Perrin Estate, $26.99

Not only are these wines delicious, they are incredible values. Most of our Spanish whites taste like $15 bottles, but sell for less than $10. What a way to impress your friends while on a budget!

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Verdejo

Verdejo based wines are crisp yet often offer soft,

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Written by Karen Sanderson, Brix Bottleshop

oman.com

Albarino (aka, Vihno Verde in Portugal)

Bright and zesty, full of pop. Apple and pear flavors shine through. Sometimes with a little effervescence.

Some call this the Cinderella grape. Viura is considered the premium white grape of Spain.

Typically offering a wildflower nose, medium acidity and nutty almond finish make this wine a classic.

Rosé, Rosé, Rosé

Honoro Vera Rosé, a Spanish STEAL, $8.99 Moutin Noir Love Drunk Rosé, a WA blend as good as it sounds. $17.99

food}trends Unoaked Chardonnay

Unoaked chards have a crisp clean texture that stands out from the oaked versions. Sometimes they will still have a luscious creaminess, too.

Sixto, a playful Charles Smith Chard, $35.99 Lavantureaux Chablis Vauprin, elegance in a bottle, $34.99 Airfield Estates, love the Washington crispness, $16.99

Frenchies

When we think old world whites, we go for white burgundies, Loire chenins, or viognier based rhone blends. They are amazing classics, but if you want to try something a little different, go for a Muscadet, Colombard, or a Roussanne. You will not be disappointed!

Pierre Henri Sevre le Main Muscadet, salinity, lemon qualities, $12.99 Mont Gravet Colombard, the pear and stone are mouth watering, $8.99

Italian Bianco

The list would not be complete without some outstanding Italian whites. If you want to reach for something unique, try one of these.

Garganega, Soave

Garnanega wines from the Soave region are like the chardonnays of Italy. They are medium bodied, rich and luscious, and full of red apple fruit qualities.

Amselmi, soft and round with a crisp finish, $12.99 Inama, fuller bodied, perfect with creamy tangy salads, $17.49

Cortese

This Piedmont classic is dry, clean, has harmonious acidity, and offers flavors of almonds and figs. It’s a perfect starter wine, especially with a charcuterie plate.

Palladino Gavi, quintessential of the region, Gavi, $18.99

Vermentino

Typical of Sardenia, this wine has lively aromas of pear, white peach, lime and pink grapefruit with subtle notes of minerality and citrus zest.

La Spinetta, one of the best, $17.99

Verdicchio This has come a long way since it’s fish bottle days. Pale straw yellow with green hues – bouquet offers hints of lime, white flowers, citrus, peach, white summer fruits and a mineral note.

Fontevecchia, perfect with grill fish, $14.99 Naturally, we could offer up about 20 more fantastic white wines for you to try this summer. Just pop into Brix and we will be your personal wine shopper.

Cheers! Karen

One of my personal summer favorites: Tikves Rkaciteli from Macedonia!

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food}

Cheesecake Bakerest (Flavorful Foods for Families without shortcuts)

By Carole Morris

food}

Patriotic

No-Bake

Cheesecake

Have some summer fun with the kids!

This is a great recipe for young people of all ages to whip up. They will just need a little guidance through the process.

You will need: Mini muffin pan for 24 mini-cheesecakes

Crust

Directions

Combine all of the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Put 1 teaspoon of the crust mixture into each muffin cup and press onto the bottom. After filling all muffin cups, cover and refrigerate for 25 minutes.

1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Yummy filling 1 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese ½ cup of sweetened condensed milk 1 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F

Crust 1 ¾ graham cracker crumbs ¼ cup sugar 1/3 cup butter (melted) Mix ingredients together, then press firmly in bottom and sides of ungreased 9-inch baking dish.

Filling

3 (8 ounce) packages of softened cream cheese 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup sour cream

Next, put cream cheese into a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, mixing thoroughly.

Then, mix in vanilla and lemon juice.

Patriotic Topping 1 container of strawberry glaze (spread evenly before serving, on top of cheesecakes) 1 container of fresh blueberries (sprinkled on top of strawberry glaze) 1 container of fresh blackberries (sprinkled on top of strawberry glaze)

Take the muffin cups (with graham cracker crusts) out of refrigerator and divide cream cheese filling equally among the 24 prepared muffin cups. Refrigerate for 3 hours until filling is set.

Going Bananas Cheesecake Directions

Beat the cream cheese in mixing bowl at low speed until smooth. Slowly add sugar then vanilla to the cream cheese mixture.

Mix in eggs (one at a time) then add the sour cream. After blending all ingredients thoroughly, pour into graham cracker crust.

Bake cheesecake for 1 hour and 10 minutes (until set). Turn off oven, open oven door and leave cheesecake in cooling oven for 1 hour. Next, place in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours to cool.

Topping

1 stick of butter 1 cup brown sugar ¼ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 2 tablepoons of rum flavoring 3 bananas (sliced) Melt butter in frying pan then add brown sugar, allspice and nutmeg. Cook until caramelized (it will thicken).

Then add bananas and cook for approximately 2 minutes (stirring without breaking up bananas). Add rum flavoring, cool and spoon onto cheesecake before serving.

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family}

health

The Power

of Food in

Health

By Dr Austine Siomos

I am a pediatric cardiologist. I trained first to become a pediatrician and then specialized in the study of pediatric hearts. I see children from before they are born until they are ready to see an adult cardiologist. I am passionate about the health of all children and families. My goal for all children is to promote healthy habits and avoidance of those types of heart disease that are generally considered to be adult problems.

I love my job, and one of my favorite things about it is that I get to prescribe food more than medicine.

Hippocrates, who was a Greek physician and the first to describe many diseases and medical conditions in around 400 BC, said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Dark leafy greens

Hippocrates would be dismayed by modern medical education, as nutrition is has not been emphasized in most medical schools. Although this is improving, most medical students report inadequate knowledge about nutrition. I became interested in nutrition early in my pediatric training, and continue to be fascinated by the power of food in health.

Popeye the Sailor Man may have just been a cartoon, but in 1929 when he came on the scene, his portrayal of diet and health was on target. He consumed cans of spinach to gain power and strength in order to defeat his nemesis, Bluto and win the heart of his love, Olive Oyl. At the peak of Popeye’s popularity in 1933, spinach consumption in the United States increased 33 percent.

Nutritional recommendations can be confusing. Even among experts, there are different ideas of what is the exact best diet. I strive to avoid the trends and conflicting diets, and focus on simple truths in what we feed ourselves and our families.

A focus on adding rather than taking away

I would like to start with my favorite group of nutritional foods: the dark leafy greens. I am so excited about leafy greens and what they can do for our bodies. They are also known as “cruciferous vegetables,” or to get really scientific, the Brassica genus of plants.

Today, leafy green vegetables are gaining in popularity, and there is much more variety available at grocery stores, farmers markets, and in our own gardens.

What are the dark leafy greens?

- Fiber for intestinal health, healthy weight and stable blood sugar: Leafy greens are high in fiber, which promotes intestinal health, protects against wide swings in blood sugar, and protects against constipation.

The high fiber in leafy greens also makes people feel full and satisfied longer, and helps to avoid snacking, feeling hungry, and having unhealthy cravings.

- Water for hydration: Leafy greens have a high water content and aid in hydration.

The long-term benefits are astounding:

- Vision health: leafy greens supply the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which decrease the risk of cataracts. Leafy greens also decrease the risk of glaucoma.

- Bone health: greens supply both calcium and vitamin K. In fact, there is more calcium in a serving of kale than in a glass of milk!

It is easier to start with what can be added to our bodies rather than what can be taken away. I ask families to think every day:

These include, but are not limited to: spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, rapini (broccoli Rabe), bok choy, watercress, and others.

- Reproductive health: leafy greens are high in folate, which is vital for all women of child-bearing age. It not only promotes fertility but also helps to prevent neural tube defects in a developing baby.

- What can I put in my body that will give me the vitamins, hydration and energy to do my best work and to be the best version of myself?

Health benefits

These are numerous, and more are being discovered.

The short-term benefits are plentiful:

- Mental health: Greens are high in vitamin B6, which is required to turn the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. Serotonin is the same neurotransmitter that antidepressants are made to boost. Numerous studies have shown an improvement in depression with leafy greens.

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- For parents and caregivers: how can I love my children and myself with what we put in our bodies?

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- Vitamin C for immunity: A serving of leafy greens has more vitamin C than an orange.

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Nutritional recommendations can be confusing. Even among experts,

there are different ideas of what is the exact best diet. I strive to avoid the trends and conflicting diets, and focus on simple truths in what we feed ourselves and our families.

- Cancer: Dark green vegetables contain a group of substances called glucosinolates, which are responsible for the bitter flavor we often notice when eating them. This flavor indicates power!

These glucosinolates have been found to inhibit the development of cancers in the bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung, prostate and stomach.

- Brain health: A large study published last year showed that elderly people who ate one or two daily portions of green leafy vegetables had the same cognitive abilities as someone 11 years younger who did not consume leafy greens!

Those people who ate leafy greens also had a 50% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.

How much?

Now that you are excited about the health benefits of leafy green vegetables, how much is recommended?

- Adults and children ages 8-13: at least 2 cups of leafy green vegetables per day (as measured when raw) - Adolescents: In this crucial time of growth and development, girls need at least 2 ½ cups per day and boys need 3 cups per day!

- Children ages 4-8: 1 cup per day - Toddlers: ½ cup per day

How?

So you are convinced that these nutrient-packed greens are essential. It is one thing for adults to eat greens, but quite another to get kids to eat them! This takes patience and persistence, as well as some creativity. It is worth it! Here are some ideas:

- Set an example: The best predictor of a child’s eating behavior is the eating patterns of the parents. Eating together as a family will set a stage for healthy eating.

- Get them involved: Children become invested in food when they are part of the process. If you are planning a garden, let them pick out the seeds or seedlings and grow them from the beginning. Kids will eat what they grow! Take them to the farmers market or the grocery store and involve them in the cooking and preparing of food. They will be proud of their work and excited to eat it!

- Enforce the “one bite rule”: Research shows that children who reject a food must be exposed to it at least 8-10 times before the food is accepted. Ask your child to take one solid bite of leafy greens with each meal. Eventually they will accept it.

- Reward good behavior: Research shows that rewarding a child for that one bite with something immediate, like a sticker, makes it easier for the bite to be successful. This creates a positive experience.

- Make it fun: Arrange greens in an attractive way, or make up an imaginative scenario. If you have a dinosaur lover, explain to him or her that the dinosaur has to eat these trees (broccoli) in order to outrun the T-rex. They will eat it up, literally!

So now we have heard it from Hippocrates, Popeye and from science. It’s time to go out and get some gorgeous leafy greens. Throw them in a smoothie, an omelet, stir fry, soup, or just mix them up with some nuts, fruit and whole grain in a beautiful, powerful meal to serve the body and mind.

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Kale with peanut sauce

This simple one pot recipe is always a hit with my family. It is great as a side and can also be a main course.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8-12 mushrooms 1 onion 2-4 cloves of garlic ½ cup natural peanut butter 1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes 1 lb kale (or any other leafy green) Salt and pepper Optional additions: 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas A red or orange fruit or vegetable as an attractive garnish Directions: 1. Rinse and dry the mushrooms and kale.

2. Chop the onions and mushrooms, and sauté on medium heat with a little water added (no oil required unless you prefer it) until the onions are a medium brown (carmelized). Remove the center stems from the kale or other greens and add the chopped stems to the pan. Reserve the leaves. Dice the garlic and add to the pan. Mix in the tomatoes.

3. Add the peanut butter and cook over medium low heat, mixing occasionally with a spatula, until incorporated into the sauce.

4. Add kale leaves with small amount of water and cook until slightly wilted. This only takes a few minutes. Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking.

5. Optional: For a fun crunch, smash the chickpeas with a measuring cup and Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a bowl, toss the chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned and crunchy.

Sprinkle over the final dish 6. Optional: Garnish with something bright red or orange (examples are carrots, peppers, strawberries and radishes).

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By Kristen Pulsifer

“ ‘I’ Before ‘E’…”

‘I’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’, bossy ‘e’, doubling rules…, ah! There are so many spelling rules and exceptions to those rules!

It is no wonder so many people, especially children, struggle with spelling. Letter sounds are difficult to learn and even more difficult to comprehend and then store into our permanent memory. I see so many children study for spelling tests by simply memorizing words, cramming it all in, just before the spelling quiz, only to forgot it all right after the quiz is over. Everyone thinks that they are great spellers if they receive A’s on those spelling quizzes. Those A’s are great achievements and should be commended, but those fantastic quiz grades do not mean that they are necessarily fantastic spellers. Spelling “is not (simply) a matter of memorization” (“How Words Cast their Spell”, Carreker…). People must truly learn and understand how letters and their sounds work in order to become solid spellers.

Phonemic awareness, “awareness of the smallest units of sound in the speech stream, and the ability to isolate or manipulate the individual sounds in words” (Birsh), must be explicitly taught when children are learning the letters of the alphabet, the sounds letters make and how to put those letters together to spell words. It is a process and one that cannot simply be done in one day or even one week. It must be present in teaching from the beginning, and adhered to throughout a child’s education. The teaching of phonological rules, must occur before a child can truly be set up for success in their spelling and reading. “Spelling is a linguistic task that requires knowledge of sounds and letter patterns… Good spellers develop insights into how words are spelled based on sound-letter correspondences” (Carreker…). The memory system that aids in this essential learning is “orthographic memory”. Some people’s orthographic memory is challenged and therefore problems with spelling may result; but, problems with spelling also result when students are not correctly taught sounds and how to spell correctly. It is vital that phonological rules are taught when teaching spelling, writing and reading.

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Spelling is directly connected to writing. Without knowing how to spell we cannot be effective writers.

The stronger our vocabulary, and the ease with which we are able to use our vocabulary, will directly affect our ability to express ourselves through the written word. If we are constantly stopping and searching for words and the correct way to spell them, our thought processes will be adversely affected. “Poor spelling, in addition to causing the writer frustration and embarrassment, adversely affects composition and transmission of ideas”(Carreker…). Students who struggle with spelling will write fewer words or potentially veer away from writing all together. A young child, shutting down their beautiful imagination is a sad and frustrating thing to watch happen. These children may have brilliant and imaginative ideas that they are dying to write about and share; but, those ideas end up hindered, and the child ends up frustrated and shut down, because of their struggles with spelling and vocabulary. When correct spelling is not easily accessed, attention is taken away from the creation of ideas and loss of “expressive power” occurs.

People who spell well are often stronger readers. Reading comprehension

increases with our ability to interpret words that we come across on a page while reading. Now, just because we can’t spell a certain word, does not mean that we cannot read the word in our favorite books, magazines and newspapers – “spelling is more difficult than reading” (Carreker…). But, if we can effectively spell AND read words, our comprehension of what we are reading can only increase. This increase comes from our ability to increase our fluency (“the ability to transfer print to speech with rapidity that allows the reader to focus on meaning”, Birsh) in what we are reading and alleviate the possibility of stumbling over challenging words and therefore losing our train of thought. The connection between reading and spelling is significant because both depend on the same thing – an understanding and command of a language. “The more deeply and thoroughly a student knows a word, the more likely he or she is to recognize it, spell it, define it, and use it appropriately in speech and writing” (Carreker). That is what a person should strive for in their own learning and more importantly, in their own child’s learning.

Learning a language, how to read and then spell the words we are learning, is an amazing process. I am NOT shocked by the number of people that struggle with reading and spelling, I am shocked by the number of people that don’t! What our brains seem to just DO when it comes to speaking, reading and writing is fascinating. So many of us take for granted the ease with which reading and writing comes. When I work with kids that truly struggle with spelling, reading and comprehension, I have to slow down and break things down for them. When I do this, I am always amazed at what goes into teaching this process that we are all just expected to DO. When studying the spelling of words, be patient and work to truly learn and understand the sounds that each of the parts of the word is making.

Study them, and work to understand them. You can do this by looking at the Greek, Latin and AngloSaxon origins of our language. Learn the meaning of each part of a word – its roots and it affixes. Then, you can truly understand the word and UNDERSTAND how to spell it. Be patient with your children, and yourselves, and make sure you are all working through the same process when studying for that next spelling quiz. Make sure your children understand why words are spelled the way they are. It will ensure stronger comprehension of the words being studied. You would never be expected to play a piece of music before you learned the individual notes, the chords and even the amount of time each type of note is held. It’s a process – be patient.

So many of us rely on technology to correct things for us. I’m doing it right now! Do not always rely on spell check. Challenge yourselves and your children to make corrections on your own. When you see that word highlighted in red on your computer screen, give yourself a minute to see if YOU can correct it. Or, when it is corrected, take note of how it was corrected and work to understand the corrections. Now I must look back through my article and hope I can successfully correct all of my typos and errors – this would be a terrible article to leave behind spelling errors… or … maybe not! *Carreker, Malatesha, Moats, Treiman. “How Words Cast Their Spell”, American Educator. Winter 2008-2009 *Birsh. Multisensory Teaching Of Basic Language Skills, 3rd Edition. 2011

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GSC Summer!

By Marti Ebbert Kurth

Pablo Casals Celebration features Amit Peled performing on the master’s own instrument Pablo Casals was a giant of a musician known as much for his skillful artistry as a cellist as he was for his outspoken stance against fascism. Born in the Spanish region of Catalonia in 1876, Casals lived to age 96 performing nearly to the end of his life. He is regarded as one of the greatest cellists and conductors of the 20th century.

On June 30, the Glacier Symphony and Chorale will present a Pablo Casals Celebration featuring Israeli cellist, Amit Peled in recital performing on the famous Matteo Goffriller cello owned and played by Pablo Casals himself. Peled says this magnificent cello, made in 1733 by the Venetian luthier, has recently been painstakingly restored, and is “like a wild horse ready to run.”

The concert offers a chance to hear Peled’s playing as well as the rejuvenated sound of the Casals cello, which he calls “Pablo.” The program will offer a glimpse into the sort of concert fare that a world-class cellist would have presented in the early-to-mid 20th century and will include a variety of pieces for cello and piano.

Accompanying pianist will be Christopher Hahn,

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an accomplished performer and professor at the University of Montana.

Mr. Peled has appeared as soloist with the Glacier Symphony and Festival Amadeus under the direction of GSC Music Director, John Zoltek. “Amit is a cellist’s cellist, that rare musician who posses both a natural technical command of the instrument and a soulful expressive musical heart that reaches out effortlessly to touch listening audiences. This concert will certainly be very very special,” Zoltek says.

According to an article in the Nov. 4, 2014 Wall Street Journal the decision to entrust the cello to Mr. Peled and to have it restored fell largely to Marta Casals Istomin, Mr. Casals’s 78-year-old widow and onetime student. She married him in 1957 when he was 80 and she was 20.

Soon after receiving the Casals cello, Mr. Peled realized the instrument couldn’t produce a big enough sound to fill a concert hall and in fact seemed “muted.” Months later, he nervously asked Mrs. Casals Istomin about having it worked on.

To his relief she agreed, even after it was clear a major overhaul was needed.

Amit Peled fell in love with the cello after hearing a recording of Pablo Casals at age 10 while living on an Israeli kibbutz. Now a 42-year-old cellist, he has been touring the country performing on the very instrument that dazzled him in late 1983 and that has made him believe in destiny.

The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. June 30, at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish. A Premium seating option, priced at $50, offers seats in the first three rows of the auditorium close to the musicians and includes an after concert reception with the cellist. Call to reserve - (406) 407-7000.

Reserved seats are $20 all ages, buy online at www.gscmusic.org.

Annual Outdoor Picnic Concert Summer Symphony Pops offers “What a Wonderful World” a Tribute to Louis Armstrong featuring jazz Trumpeter Byron Stripling

Glacier Symphony will join with jazz trumpeter, Byron Stripling to perform What a Wonderful World, his electrifying and heartfelt tribute to Louis Armstrong for the annual Summer Symphony Pops concerts, Friday July 8 and

Saturday July 9, 2016. The outdoor picnic-concert will be held rain or shine at Rebecca Farm that will be transformed into a music venue with full stage lighting and sound on an acoustically dynamic sound shell stage.

Stripling’s show is lauded as America’s most popular orchestral pops program. With his engaging rapport, jazzy vocals and virtuosic trumpet sounds, Byron dazzles audiences wherever he goes. With his signature version of When The Saints Go Marchin' In to close the show, Byron celebrates the spirit of New Orleans and always leaves ‘em dancing in the aisles!

Since his Carnegie Hall debut with Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops, Stripling has become a pops orchestra favorite, soloing with a host of orchestras and symphonies ranging from Boston to Dallas. He has been a featured soloist at the Hollywood Bowl and on the PBS television special, Evening at Pops, and currently serves as artistic director and conductor of the highly acclaimed Columbus Jazz Orchestra.

Stripling earned his stripes as lead trumpeter and soloist with the Count Basie Orchestra and has played and recorded extensively with the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, and Buck Clayton in addition to The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and The GRP All Star Big Band.

Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. for the 7:30 pm concerts and patrons are encouraged to bring a picnic or buy food and libations from vendors on site. Tickets can be purchased in a range of pricing and seating options, starting at $30 for advance car pass/field seating, up to $400 for reserved picnic tables of 8 under large tents or in 8x8 squares near the stage on low backed lawn chairs or blankets. No dogs, BBQ grills, high back chairs or sun umbrellas will be allowed. Reserve tickets on the website www.gscmusic. org or by calling the GSC box office, (406) 407-7000.

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A Steinway is a Investment

Sound

Whitefish Steinway Paid Off With Singer & Simpson Fundraiser and Concert!

By Miriam Singer and John Simpson

On June 4th, 2016, Santa Fe pianist Doug Montgomery was amazing on the Steinway concert grand at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center.

Elizabeth Young was inspired on the violin and opera singer Cynthia Dario and Broadway tenor Mike Eldred sang their hearts out. It was another Singer & Simpson Production supported by Don ‘K’ Subaru.

After fund raising efforts over the concert weekend, the note on the Steinway was paid in full. What an achievement! Our community bought and paid for a great piano. Now, all that’s left is to create a substantial maintenance fund to keep the piano sounding great.

Greater Whitefish, united by a vision of artistic potential and regional pride, transformed The Middle School Auditorium into a vibrant cultural hub and an outstanding performance venue: The Whitefish Performing Arts Center.

With the understanding that a great performing arts center needs a great piano, John Simpson, with the help of several members of our community, initiated a fund and search for an outstanding world-class piano. The Steinway Piano Gallery in Spokane located a 2003 Anniversary Edition Steinway ‘D’ Concert and Artist series grand piano.

With donations already received, we made the 20% down payment, the Whitefish Credit Union loaned the balance, and the piano was delivered to the Whitefish Performing Arts Center on February 28th, 2012.

On March 10th, 2012, the renowned jazz pianist and arranger Alan Broadbent was the first pianist to play the newly acquired Steinway, praising its evenness of tone as well as its action. Broadbent made his fee very reasonable so that funds could go to the piano. We found out that Alan Broadbent was Diana Krall’s piano teacher. When she came to L.A. at the age of 19 to study with Jimmy Rowles, she also contacted Alan and studied piano with him. He

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said that as her piano teacher, he encouraged her to listen to horn players and to learn to play their lines.

Many years later, conducting for Diana, when it was time for her to solo, Alan Broadbent would hear her play a horn line and see her look up at him with a sly expression on her face.

In May of 2012, jazz master Billy Wallace played solo piano on the Steinway and then joined The Four Freshmen enriching the quartet with the addition of his piano accompaniment for their entire first set, and then came back to join them for the encore.

Funds have come as donations of generous patrons from the Flathead community, as well as from concerts supported by Don “K” Subaru and Subaru of America. A Yamaha acoustic console piano was also purchased for everyday use at the middle school to save wear and tear on the concert grand.

The Whitefish Credit Union has now been paid off and there is no debt left. The member of our community who signed the note can breathe a sigh of relief. You know who you are. We are very grateful.

That same year, Alon Goldstein gracefully flew over its keys performing concertos by Beethoven and Mendelssohn during Glacier Symphony’s Amadeus Festival. Alon said our Whitefish piano is “Among the finest I’ve played in this country.” ATP’s tribute to Stephen Sondheim had the Steinway center stage all evening played by Kim Steiner, who said it was "One of the best pianos I’ve ever played".

When we asked the brilliant French pianist and composer Michel Legrand what he thought of the Steinway, his face lit up, his hand went to his heart and he gave the piano a big thumbs up. He loved it. Mr. Legrand was here to perform in concert with his lovely wife Catherine Michel on harp at the Performing Arts Center that September.

In December 2012, Mike Eldred gave a wonderful Christmas concert. His pianist, Jeff Steinberg, called the Steinway “an absolute treasure” and said that we are very fortunate to have such an excellent instrument.

Every artist who has played the Steinway has had high praise for it. When John Pizzarelli brought his band to perform here in 2013, we were delighted to learn it included Monty Alexander on piano.

Monty loved our piano. Marcus Roberts, who was here in 2014, said the piano sounded beautiful!

And in 2015, Peter Nero loved the piano and was extremely impressed that we were able to buy it for $79,000.

We can all feel proud of this accomplishment. John and I (Singer & Simpson Productions) are very proud of our part in this achievement. Many thanks to all who contributed and believed that together we could do it. We did it!

Going To The Sun Gallery Proudly presents our Featured Artist For

July Gallery Nights

James Corwin...

James Corwin, born in Honolulu Hawaii in l991, and since a Kalispell Native, has established himself as a widely collected artist at a very young age. He designs distinct oil paintings through a unique balance of contemporary and gestural paint techniques and precise detail. His paintings can be found in collections through out the world!

Snoozin & Blase

Satu Kuat

Three For Alpha