406 Woman Vol.11 No.1 Business

406 contents featured 12. Nancy Cawdrey 20. Geez Louise!

review

16. Bill Bryson A Short History of Everything

business 24. I Want Her Job Bottle Breacher

32. Women Business Owners Edward Jones 40. Farm for all Rebecca Farm

...36

non-profit 28. Changed Lives Growing Through Adversity

profiles

legal

34. Estate Planning at Every Age & Stage in Life

health

18. Buffalo Hill Golf Club Junior Golf and More

44. Mountain Meadow Herbs

26. Shelby’s Berry Fields

46. Beads of Courage

36. Kristin Voisin Toast

48. Plantar Fasciitis 50. Pilates is Therapy 54. Birth Control Choosing The Right One 56. Keeping Your Family Healthy Avoiding Health Lies 58. Live Pain Free 60. Makeup Mistakes 62. Seasonal Clinics North Valley Hospital 64. We Like To Say Yes

Published by Skirts Publishing six times a year 704 C East 13th St. #138 Whitefish, MT 59937 info@406woman.com Copyright©2017 Skirts Publishing

w

8 406

oman.com

...58

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

featured}

Getting To Know

Nancy Cawdrey

By Mary Wallace Photos by J. Vigil Photography

Wide & airy, the new Nancy Cawdrey Gallery at 204 Wisconsin Avenue serves as not only a gallery, but also a classroom, an art studio, an indoor/outdoor performance & event venue (complete with caterer and commercial kitchen), and so much more.

The place was a beehive of activity when I stopped in last week. Nancy was preparing to head to an art show to benefit the Two Fly Foundation in Casper, WY, and Morgan was prepping for a wedding at Cypress Yard the following day. Nancy and Morgan introduced me around and took a break to tell me about all of the fun they have been having.

They found their new location about a year ago and decided that it was perfect to adapt to a variety of different uses. “Things are changing in the art world,” says Nancy, “galleries are struggling while online retail sales are growing. We wanted this space to multitask and offer several streams of income.”

The operation is a family affair, with Nancy at the helm with her signature silk canvas paintings, husband Steve managing the art displays and being the general all around go-to guy. Son Morgan contributes his own art, as well as offering art appraisal, consignment, art auctions, art hanging & installation for residential and retail spaces, marketing, branding, & promoting the gallery and helping manage Cypress Yard. Morgan’s wife Avis serves as bookkeeper, dietician, and event planner; and 6-month-old granddaughter Remy seemingly runs the whole show.

Nancy and Morgan along with other artists plan to offer art classes in the gallery. Nancy and Morgan were also preparing to host an Art Weekend painting retreat. Their painting retreats are well sought after and draw in artists from both in and out of state.

Each session typically has 10-15 attendees and includes everyone from the hobby painter to more serious artists. The pair are somehow able to meet each participant where they currently are and help them find their own muse and skill level. Nancy was particularly excited for this June workshop, because, through her affiliation with the Stumptown Art

w

12 406

oman.com

Studio and the Blackfeet Heart Project, she was able to invite a couple of Native Blackfoot artists, as well.

Nancy’s father was in the military, and her family was moved around a lot during her childhood. They were stationed in the Middle East in her early years. At age 17, she enrolled at American University in Paris and eventually found work in graphics and art design for National Geographic in Washington, D.C. That is where she met Steve.

They were married in England and they moved there when Steve became the headmaster at a boarding school, where Nancy also taught art & French among

other subjects. It was there that Nancy met one of her early mentors, Thomas Greenshields.

After a few years, Steve & Nancy both wanted to return home to the U.S., and eventually founded and built a wilderness boarding school in Thompson Falls. When Morgan was born, she began to ask herself what she wanted to teach this new young person in their lives. The answer was to follow her passion, and for Nancy, that was art.

Still, because it was such a busy time, Nancy describes her art during this period as standard “Sunday Afternoon Painter.”

featured} Nancy Cawdrey

“Things are changing in the art world,” says Nancy, “galleries are struggling while online retail sales are growing. We wanted this space to multitask and offer several streams of income.”

It was a bit of “being in the right place at the right time” that lead her to what was to become her signature style. On a camping trip in Hawaii, she spotted some paintings that really drew her in. She asked around and found the artist that created them, and asked her to show her how to paint with watermedia on silk. The artist graciously tutored her and the rest, as they say, is history.

She was working mostly with watercolor, but through her pursuit for texture and passion for color, she discovered a Chinese technique for painting on silk. This became her medium of choice and to this day, she often uses a mixture of media (watercolor and other experimental media) in her silk compositions.

“You have to be a bit of a chemist to be an artist,” says Nancy. She continues to paint with watercolor and oil.

Nancy says she has been inspired by several people she has never met, such as artists Sorolla, Toulouse -Lautrec, and American painter, Richard Schmid and so many more.

Steve & Nancy eventually sold the boarding school in Thompson Falls and moved to Bigfork. Nancy operated her studio there for 20 years. She has been involved in Art

Weekends at the Triple Creek Ranch in Darby, Montana for 11 years with several other artists. She regularly exhibits in major art shows including the CM Russell Auction, the Jackson Hole Arts Festival & Auction, the Museum of Wildlife Art, among many others.

Morgan, an artist in his own right, is behind the enterprising mix of ventures all situated under one roof at the new gallery. At age 10, he participated and won the Montana Junior Duck Stamp contest for his age group, and painting became a passion for him as well.

Even so, Morgan (like many young people) was anxious to leave Montana, and he attended Dartmouth where he chose to study Chinese Language & Literature. He was seeking further adventure after graduating, so he found employment teaching a combination of ESL and high school English on a remote island in the Marshall Islands. Remote might be a bit of an understatement . . . Morgan admitted that he was woefully unprepared for the rustic & backward conditions on the island but he stuck it out until the end of the school year. He then spent a year in Boston - planning and running art shows. When he met his wife Avis, Montana was calling, so that is where they headed.

Morgan has been instrumental in the design & layout of Cypress Yard. Since the gallery is in the building that used to house Whitefish Spirits, the tasting room perfectly lends itself to the event venue. Their first event was in August 2017 and they have been off & running since then. The onsite caterers are Michael Cartwright and Laura Clayton of Cartwright Catering. Cypress Yard hosted the Burger Battle at “Feast Whitefish” in May. Folks enjoyed the delicious hot off the grill competition while listening to the Belton Blues Band and sipping cold beverages from Great Northern Brewing Company and Cartwright Catering took the People’s Choice for their burger. They hope to host weddings, family reunions, corporate retreats, art shows, art auctions, and many various community activities. They offer both weekday and weekend rates, so that events can be affordable and convenient.

Cypress Yard has obtained a beer & wine license and will open this month on Thursdays to Sundays from 3-8 p.m. serving charcuterie style plates using a locally and internationally sourced gourmet menu of meats & cheeses. “We hope to offer an aperitif style pre-dinner experience,” Morgan said.

w

406

oman.com 13

featured} Nancy Cawdrey Nancy humbly shared what she calls her legacy project, which she has been working on almost three years. Forever Glacier is a collection of paintings that feature all of the mammals of Glacier Park. She has completed 13 of 18 and many are on display in the Gallery. Individuals, businesses, and family foundations will sponsor each painting.

This unique body of work will be the core of a major traveling exhibit used to inspire people of all ages to find that special connection with Glacier National Park. It will have an interactive/educational component, that will include fur, hooves, horns, and ‘info’ about each mammal and it’s relation to the biosphere in the park. The Hockaday Museum will host the debut of the exhibit in 2019, followed by the CM Russell Museum in 2020.

The gallery features work from other artists besides Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey and Morgan Cawdrey. The other artists who currently have some amazing artwork in the gallery are Michael Ome Untiedt, Marty Lambuth, John Reinhold, John Rawlings, Rosella Mosteller, and Tina Milisavljevich. It is certainly worth stopping by to browse.

When Nancy is not painting, she loves to spend time with her new granddaughter, Remy. One of the items on her bucket list is to teach Remy to paint. She also loves to take walks, play tennis, or do anything outdoors.

Nancy says growing up as part of a roving military family, she learned how to show up and get to know people quickly. It has enabled her to connect with people in her life and through her art. She says she has had numerous women and men tell her they have been drawn to her artwork because of its strength of statement, both in color and content.

Visit the Nancy Cawdrey Gallery online at www.nancycawdrey. com and visit their FB page https://www.facebook.com/ NancyCawdreyGallery/ to learn about specials, workshops, and upcoming events.

w

14 406

oman.com

review}

Bill Bryson A Short History of Everything Doubleday

By Susan Schnee, voyageur booksellers

Bill Bryson, the travel-writing phenomenon, has taken on the anemic, lifeless prose of standard science textbooks and insists that the results of scientific study can be wondrous and very often are so.

The trick is to write about them in a way that makes them comprehensible without crushing nature’s mystique.

Bryson provides a lesson in how it should be done. The prose is just as one would expectenergetic, quirky, familiar and humorous. The amount of ground covered is truly impressive. From the furthest reaches of cosmology, we range through time and space until we are looking at the smallest particles. We explore our own planet and get to grips with the ideas, first of Newton and then of Einstein, that allow us to understand the laws that govern it.

Then biology hold center stage, heralding the

w

16 406

oman.com

emergence of big-brained bipeds and Charles Darwin’s singular notion as to how it all came about. Bryson made his name writing travelogues and that is what this is. A single, coherent journey, woven together by a master craftsman.

The book’s underlying strength lies in the fact that Bryson knows what it’s like to find science dull or inscrutable. He can claim to have spent the vast majority of his life to date knowing very little about how the universe works. Tutored by many of the leading scientists in each of the dozens of fields he covers, has brought to the book some of the latest insights together with an amusingly gossipy tone. His technique was to keep going back to the experts until each in turn was happy to sign off the account of their work he had put together. In short, he’s done the hard work for us.

Bryson enlivens his accounts of difficult concepts with entertaining historical vignettes. We

learn, for example, of the Victorian naturalist whose scientific endeavors included serving up mole and spider to his guests: and of the Norwegian paleontologist who miscounted the number of fingers and toes on one of the most import fossil finds of recent history and wouldn’t let anyone else have a look at it for the next 48 years.

Bryson has called his book a history, and he has the modern historian’s gift for telling it how it was. He tells us , for example, that every living cell contains as many working parts as a Boeing 777, and that prehistoric dragonflies, as big as ravens, flew among giant trees whose roots and trunks were covered with mosses 40 meters (130 ft.) in height. It’s hard to imagine a better rough guide to science. Bryson thinks that the results of scientific study can be wondrous, and very often are. The trick is to write about them in a way that makes them comprehensible without crushing nature’s mystique.

Copperleaf Chocolat

company

239 Central Ave. Whitefish Mt. 406-862-9659

Gifts You Would Love to Give locally made artisan chocolates, chocolate bars from around the world, time tested books & leather bound journals.

Artie Yellowhorse Native American Designer of Collectible Silver, Turquoise & Gems Jewelry Mary Frances Hand Beaded Embellished Handbags and Scarves.

Fabulous Cashmere Sweaters, One of a kind Copper and Enamel Pieces

by Swan Valley Copper Company and Vintage cowboy boots.

profile}

Buffalo Hill Golf Club

Junior Golf and More!

By Mary Wallace Photos by Amanda Wilson Photography

Casey Keyser loves the game of golf and everything it represents. Casey took over the reins as the new head golf professional at Buffalo Hill Golf Club in January. It’s exactly what he has always wanted to do! At first glance, he seems young, but he has been a well-known and well-loved face around the golf course since he was old enough to hold a golf club.

He spent so much time at the course as a kid, taking lessons, practicing, and playing junior golf, they eventually put him to work picking the driving range, cleaning golf balls and washing golf carts. He began working around the pro shop starting at age 15.

Casey is on a mission to introduce more youth to the sport of golf. Even though Casey spent his formative years participating in the Buffalo Hill Junior Golf program, he has noticed that, while the kids playing junior golf the past few years have enjoyed the experience, they are not really staying involved and playing much after the junior golf season is over. Together with management and the Kalispell Golf Association membership, they have chosen to offer four separate programs which have been developed to give families a series of options for this summer.

w

Casey Keyser Buffalo Hills Head Golf Professional 18 406

oman.com

The First Tee: The First Tee is a youth development organization whose goal is to introduce the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. Through these programs, they hope to shape the lives of young people from all walks of life by teaching golf and it’s nine core values – Honesty, Integrity, Sportsmanship, Respect, Responsibility, Confidence, Perseverance, Courtesy, and Judgement. The First Tee program is for ages 7 – 17. It starts June 12 and ends August 2, 2018. The cost is $99 and scholarships are available.

First Tee Trial: There is also a First Tee Trial for those who would like to try it first.

They can attend on any day available for their age group and come to as many sessions as they like. The cost is $10/session.

PGA Junior Golf League:

This program offers a team golf experience for ages 7 – 13. The Junior League is designed to be fun, engaging, and welcoming. Practices are on Tuesdays and league matches are on Sundays, with expert coaching from PGA and LPGA professionals. The fee for Junior League is $150, and scholarships are available.

Junior Players Club:

This is a program for the player who is looking ahead to high school & college golf. Geared to ages 12- 18, this program is designed to improve both physical and mental aspects to prepare young golfers for a competitive future. The schedule is one day per week for six weeks, and the cost is $150.

The junior golf programs are pleased to have Flathead High School coach Kyle Dunfee and several high school student golfer volunteers

“Many youth sports are played only during the kid’s younger years. Often, even as early as high school, only the elite players are encouraged to play other sports competitively. Golf is something that can be played for life. In golf, the only competitors are the golf course and the players themselves.” to help coach, mentor, and encourage younger players. Players are welcome to bring their own equipment, but there are also clubs available for youth to use during the program. If you love to golf, volunteers are always needed – please come and share your enthusiasm by mentoring to these youth golfers.

It is the goal of this entire series of programs to cultivate and develop new players while expanding the community of junior golfers through a fun, positive, and engaging environment where they can learn the game of golf and its core values. Casey and his crew of pros and volunteers would also like to encourage parents to get involved - make it a family affair. “Many youth sports are played only during the kid’s younger years. Often, even as early as high school, only the elite players are encouraged to play other sports competitively. Golf is something that can be played for life. In golf, the only competitors are the golf course and the players themselves.”

Nationally, after three years of the First Tee program, statistics show that 73% of the youth who participated reported higher confidence in their ability to do well academically; 82% felt more confident in their social skills with their peers, and 52% credited the program for their ability to appreciate diversity. 80% of participants say the program helped them become a better student.

96% of teens say the First Tee helped improve their golf skills, and 90% of First Tee alumni consider themselves lifelong golfers.

“We are ALL about Junior Golf,” according to General Manager Steve Dunfee. “The golf course is open and ready to welcome youth to come experience the fun and life lessons that golf provides. Golf is more than just a transaction,” says Dunfee, “we're here to provide a fun, high quality experience for our members and guests, and ultimately build solid, long term relationships. The membership is just as enthused about the new youth programs as Casey & Steve. Several members have even expressed interest in assisting any youth who may be holding

back because they are worried they cannot afford the fees or equipment. There are enough resources and enough golf lovers at the club who would be honored to make sure that no child misses out if they would like to play.

Those who are interested in making golf a family affair can find more info at https://www.golfbuffalohill.com/pga-jr-league/ or call 406-756-4547.

The Buffalo Hill Golf Club has also restructured their golf fees for 2018, offering lower

prices. Golf lessons, greens fees on both the Cameron Nine and the Championship 18 have all been restructured to bring in more golfers.

Frequent Player cards, punchcards, practice facility/driving range bundles, and cart rental are also available. Season Passes are definitely the most affordable the way to go, and the new Referral Program offers a $300 reward to either the referrer or the new season pass holder for full season passes, (or $50 reward for any Cameron-Only pass). To access any of these specials, please visit www.golfbuffalohill.com to get the very best pricing.

In other news, Phase II of the clubhouse patio project is progressing. There are several parties and events already scheduled for the season, and the outdoor bar and grill are being added. A ribbon cutting is slated for July. The clubhouse and patio are perfect for rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, family reunions, corporate gatherings, etc. The clubhouse is also offering a new menu, and all are welcome to visit for breakfast or lunch daily.

Visit soon to check out the new rates, the new patio, the new clubhouse menu, the new youth programs, and the new golf pro. Mother Nature has been kind so far this year, and the course has been meticulously groomed for a fantastic season.

Casey Keyser, Kyle Dunfee and Steve Dunfee.

w

406

oman.com 19

featured}

Geez Louise!

By Jaymee Sire Photos by Justin Aharoni

"Because the greatest part of a road trip isn't arriving at your destination. It's all the wild stuff that happens along the way." -Emma Chase As much as I love to travel to faraway places and explore parts of the world I’ve never seen before, I was recently reminded of the beauty and adventure sitting in our own backyard.

Last fall, my boyfriend Justin and I decided to embark on a 2-week road trip through the Northwest portion of the United States. We started in Montana (of course) and worked our way up through Canada, back down through Washington, the Oregon coast, Northern California & the Redwoods, Lake Tahoe, the Utah Salt Flats, Jackson, Wyoming and back to Montana via Yellowstone National Park. It will forever stand as the road trip to top all other road trips.

And while I would love to share all of our amazing stops along the way, that would be enough to fill an entire magazine. Instead, I’ll share our first, and one of my favorite stops, of the 16-day trip.

Lake Louise: During this adventure, I learned the key to a successful road trip is to have a loose plan, but be willing to go with the flow. I say this because the first stop on our great northwest adventure was not originally scheduled. I really wanted to take Justin to Glacier National Park to show off my home state, but the devastating wild fires last year made that idea nearly impossible. Instead, we improvised and went further north into Canada for a day and a half stay in the Banff/Lake Louise area. It turned out to be one of my favorite parts of our trip, and a good reminder to embrace life's “detours."

w

20 406

oman.com

Getting there: Lake Louise is located in Alberta, Canada (Montana’s neighbors to the north), as part of Banff National Park. It's known for it's breathtaking vistas, with plenty of nearby hiking trails and that signature turquoise water. (Yes, it really is that color!) It's about a 2-hour drive from Calgary, where we stayed overnight after a 5-hour drive from Great Falls. (Calgary is also the nearest major airport if you are flying. There are shuttle buses from there, but I would recommend renting a car so you can explore on your own!) There is a large parking lot directly at the base of the lake that's also shared by the Fairmont Hotel, making it extremely accessible. If you happen to visit in high season, you may have to use overflow parking and take a shuttle.

Where to stay: The Moose Hotel & Suites The iconic Farimont Chateau Lake Louise has unmatched views of the Lake, as it sits squarely in front of the water. If money is no object and you plan far enough in advance that would be a fairytaletype place to stay. Same goes for the Fairmont Banff Springs, which is literally a castle straight out of an actual fairytale.

The Moose Hotel & Suites was absolutely perfect for that. It's a newer hotel located in downtown Banff, However, being on a slightly smaller budget, I loved walking distance from pretty much everything. The staying right in the town of Banff, giving us so many entire property has a log-cabin feel, and our room more options in the way of shopping and restaurants. was equipped with a cozy electric fireplace and an

featured} Lake Louise

outdoor terrace, where we sipped morning coffee and enjoyed a view of the mountains.

But I'm burying the lead here. The best part about staying at The Moose: the rooftop "hot pools" (basically, giant hot tubs). It was the perfect way to soak our tired muscles after a long day of hiking in the snow. (Yes, it snowed in September!) In warmer weather, there are also fire pits to enjoy, making it an ideal spot to enjoy the Banff summer evenings.

Where to Eat: Eddie Burger Bar Since we only stayed in Banff one night, we really only ate out once. However, the meal we did eat was fabulous. We were pretty ravenous from our hike, so burgers definitely hit the spot. Eddie Burger bar has a wide array of burgers including Angus beef, bison and even elk! Of course... when in Canada... poutine (fries with gravy and cheese curds). It’s not a very big restaurant, and I’m told that in high season, the wait times here can get pretty lengthy, so keep that in mind when making your dinner plans. If burgers aren’t your thing, or you can’t score a table, there are plenty of delicious dining options in the town of Banff. Just ask your hotel’s concierge or any of the friendly Canadians you encounter along the way!

What to do: Enjoy the great outdoors!

There is no shortage of outdoor activities to enjoy at Lake Louise. Probably one of the more popular is to rent a canoe or kayak and take in the views from the water. As I mentioned, it was raining and snowing on our first day in the area, so we weren't bold enough (or warm enough) to head out on the lake. Instead, we braved the elements on the hiking trails and trekked up to the Lake Agnes Tea House.

Lake Agnes Tea House Hike: The hike up to the teahouse is a little over 2 miles each way. Depending on how quickly you hike and how often you stop for photos, you should plan at least a half-day for the hike (1-2 hours each way, plus however long you want to linger once you arrive). You most certainly will want to spend some time at the teahouse relaxing and devouring some of their delicious food. The trail is pretty smooth most of the way, so aside from some puddles from the rain, I was mostly fine in my regular sneakers. As we learned first hand, the weather can change in an instant (similar to Montana), so I would recommend packing layers, even in the summer.

w

406

oman.com 21

featured} Lake Louise

From the parking lot, you will walk along the boardwalk in front of the Chateau Lake Louise and then look for signs pointing towards the Lake Agnes Tea House, which will branch off as you reach the end of the hotel grounds. (Check the teahouse website for more detailed directions.)

You will eventually come to a little lake called "Mirror Lake," which is a nice little photo op and resting point. After that, you only have another 20 minutes or so until you reach the teahouse.

When you are properly out of breath due to the hike and the altitude, you will turn a corner and see a towering log staircase shooting up in front of you and a little part of you starts to cry inside. I promise this Canadian stair master is totally worth it. At the top, stands a beautiful little mountain oasis, welcoming you with tea, sandwiches, delicious baked goods and a view of Lake Agnes.

Lake Agnes was named for the original First Lady of Canada, Lady Agnes McDonald. She visited the lake in 1886 and was struck by the beauty of this little mountain lake. It's not hard to see why!

w

The teahouse itself is family run and the staff (mostly college students) hikes up the fresh

22 406

oman.com

supplies 2-4 times a week. There is also one helicopter supply run a year, which flies in all of the flour, sugar, propane and other dry goods.

We were pretty famished and cold, so I might be exaggerating, but the house-baked bread that they served the sandwiches on was some of the best I'd ever had. Justin got a PB&J, and I tried one with homemade hummus and cucumber. We also ordered some hot soup, and a brownie for the road.

We could've easily spent a week in the area, but the thing about road trips is you have to keep moving or you'll never get anywhere. We loved all of the places we stopped during that 2+ week trip, but Lake Louise will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Oh, and some tea of course! (They have over 100 varieties of loose leaf tea.) Basically, I never wanted to leave. Whenever you do decide to head back down, offer to take down some trash. The staff has to hike that out as well, so every little bit helps!

The surrounding area: If you are looking for more than just a couple days of mountain adventure, you are in luck! Lake Louise is not the only lake in the area with that magical, glacial turquoise water. Moraine Lake is nearby, and I've also seen stunning photos from Bow Lake. Two days wasn't nearly enough time to see all the area has to offer, so definitely plan for at least four.

Jaymee Sire

Jaymee grew up in North Central Montana and is an Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster, former ESPN SportsCenter anchor, and occasional Food Network contributor. She also writes a food and travel blog called “e is for eat.” (eisforeat.com)

business}

I Want Her Job

Jen Crane +Nicole Mackey Bottle Breacher

By Brianne B. Perleberg

This article originally appeared on IWantHerJob.com.

Like many startups, the story of Bottle Breacher begins in a one-car garage as the brainchild of a husband and wife team. But that’s where the similarities to other stories seem to end. This startup had one founder living in the United States raising children and one serving overseas as a Navy Seal. And its product? Handcrafted 50-caliber bottle openers.

A little over a year after launching the business, an opportunity many entrepreneurs dream of came true. Jen and Eli Crane had the chance to pitch the business they co-founded to the investors better known as “The Sharks” on ABC’s Shark Tank. They walked away with investments from Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban, and then their business began to surge.

The company now employs more than 30 individuals, many of which are military veterans. And, among these employees is Nicole Mackey, an entrepreneur in her own right who once owned her own stationary business and now serves as Bottle Breacher’s operations manager. Jen and Nicole came together to share how they create a culture of work flexibility, while still running a growing business.

What is the culture like at Bottle Breacher?

Jen: We’re really down to earth. We operate with a startup mentality, regardless of Shark Tank. Eli and I think of ourselves as low-key people. We have our admin team in the front of our office, and in the back we have people engraving and packaging our products. We have a really raw environment, and I don’t think people who visit our office expect that. We’re based in Arizona, and we’re not corporate or fancy. We buy used equipment when we can,

w

24 406

oman.com

because we want to save money. It doesn't matter how much you make, it matters how much you spend in your overhead. So, we try to keep that overhead low.

Nicole: It's also a very family atmosphere with flexibility, which is how I like to live my life. We’ve created a culture of hard work, so if you’re able to get your work done, then we’re fine with you leaving early to be with your family. If that’s what’s going to make you happiest, then that’s what we want at the end of the day.

How do you set and manage internal working relationships with your employees?

Nicole: As a manager you’ve got to think about friendships at work. Do you want to have a deep interest in an employee’s personal life and know their kids and pray for them and so forth? That’s great, but it’s also important for me to communicate up front that although we are friends and I love them and would do anything for them, when we’re at work I’m your boss, and there are certain things we have to do. It’s a fine line. If you’re up front in this way, then when situations do arise where you have to have a conversation, then it’s not taken personally and doesn’t put a stress on the friendship. There’s a clear expectation that this is work and this is business.

What are qualities you look for in potential employees when expanding your team?

Jen: I look for a good work ethic, a naturally happy person and a willingness to learn. Those three things really make someone strong.

Whether you’ve gone to school for something or not, it doesn’t concern me. (Unless you’re my lawyer or accountant!) Almost everything we do here can be trained, so if I can find those three qualities naturally in someone, then I’m going to be able to get them on board and learning quickly.

What is a leadership lesson you’ve learned from the ultimate entrepreneurial mentors, your investors, Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary?

Jen: From Kevin, I’ve learned how to figure out my priorities in life and work, and then to work around them. He positively balances family and business. He has two children and a wife, and then he has his persona and all of his businesses. He told me that the most important thing you can do is be there at night, read the kids a few books, eat dinner with them and be present. Because of this I’ve tried to balance my work around my kids. I leave early on Tuesdays and Thursdays to pick the kids up from school and spend time with them. If that means I have to work on Saturday, or at night, it’s worth it to me, because it also means I get to eat dinner with my kids every evening.

business} Jen Crane + Nicole Mackey

Be genuine. Be who you are. You don't need to put on a show, no matter what position you hold within the company. Just be genuine, show who you truly are, have passion for what you do and let that show.

I’ve also learned from Kevin how to measure a business, especially a startup, by cash.

How much are you making? Are you missing any money? What is your net? He asks these questions on “Shark Tank” not to be rude, but it’s a basic fact. I love that and it’s up front. If you’re a business and you’re not making any money, time and time again, that just tells you it won’t work. Mark Cuban always says, “Follow the green, not the dream.” He’s not saying, “Give up your dream.” He’s saying that if after so long it’s not working out, then maybe you need to make a change and rethink your business.

Mark taught me how to delegate. For the longest time I was doing way too much on my own. I’ve learned over the past year how to not put everything on my plate, because when I did, I think I was on the verge of having a panic attack. I've tried to give up some things, train people and be a teacher and not a hoarder.

Both Kevin and Mark have taught me to focus on the goal. When I go into the office, the way I prioritize is by focusing first on the things that will make us the most profit. I work to cross those off my to-do list first. It helps, because at the end of the day, that’s my job. Eli makes the product, and I sell the product.

What career advice would you share with fellow women, or anyone for that matter?

Nicole: This piece of advice is for moms, especially. I would tell them, “Don’t be afraid to have a career while you’re a mom. There are going to be days where you know that everything is going to go wrong, and it’s not going to go smoothly. You’re going to have disappointed yourself, your children and your spouse. But, in the larger picture, you’re investing in a career. Know that with that

comes good and bad. Don’t have mom guilt.

Remember, no mom guilt!”

Jen: Nicole and I work great together because we're both moms, and we help each other out with the mom guilt. One day she forgot to pick up her kids, and then I forgot to pick up my kids right after her. I was like, “How did we both do that on the same day?!”

But, I was raised with a divorced family, and my mom worked full time while she was getting her master’s degree. I have never looked back and said, “Wow, Mom, you were never there.”

I know my mom was there as much as she could be, and she taught me to go for it, to do what you want. Life is limitless!

You don’t have to be the Pinterest-perfect mom or woman. For example, if you had to go to Walgreens to buy Valentine's Day gifts instead of making a handmade gift, then that is okay.

And just because you’re a working woman and you do that, it doesn’t make you any less of a mom or any less of a woman.

Another piece of advice is simple: be genuine.

Be who you are. You don't need to put on a show, no matter what position you hold within the company. Just be genuine, show who you truly are, have passion for what you do and let that show. It reminds me of the new Annie movie I watched with my daughter.

One of the songs in the movie is, “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.”

In the morning before you leave your house, make sure you have a smile on your face, because anywhere you walk into – whether it's the grocery store, to work or a meeting – if you have a smile on your face, you bring instant joy and light up a room. You make everyone's day,

whether you know it or not. If you're having the worst day but you still put a smile on your face, then you can conquer any mountain.

What's next for Bottle Breacher?

Jen: It's hard for me to answer. I'm such a dayto-day person, whereas Eli is the visionary. He would be able to rattle off a list, and I'm like, I don't even know what's for dinner tonight!

Eli is constantly coming up with new products, patents and ideas. He's so creative, and so I feel like as long as I have him on my side, we're going to be just fine. He wants to do licensing, retail, trademarks and maybe even wholesale.

So, I would say constant growth is a fair answer. That's the hope. But in the midst of it, we want to be able to give back.

Brianne B. Perleberg

Brianne B. Perleberg, a born-and-raised Montanan, is the founder of I Want Her Job, an award-winning website featuring curated career conversations with women changing the future of business. She also is a marketing director at NASCAR track Phoenix Raceway. You can follow her on Twitter @iwantherjob and read more interviews like this on iwantherjob.com.

w

406

oman.com 25

profile}

Shelby’s Berry Fields

Shelby said that her mom convinced her to start Shelby’s Berry Fields in which she grows and sells haskap berries to both wholesale and retail markets. “At first I was a little skeptical and only wanted 50 plants to start out,” she said. Soon she said she

By Kristen Hamilton found out her mom had ordered Photo by Daley McDaniel Photography 1,500 plants and felt a little angry. That all dissipated when Shelby Olsen may only be 15 years old but she starting planting the berries and became more excited about the new business venture. she is definitely on track for success.

Growing up with a green thumb mom, Angie from Angie’s Greenhouse in Columbia Falls, Shelby was destined to work with soil.

As it turns out she’s passionate about it too.

Not long ago, she learned about haskap berries and quickly became a fan. The haskap berry, also known as the honeyberry, has a Japanese origin and has been around for centuries but only recently has it become popular in North America. According to Shelby, “The haskap has five times the antioxidants as a blueberry and it tastes better too.”

w

26 406

oman.com

She went to Canada for training to learn about growing and cultivating the berries. Shelby said, “I decided after that trip that I really wanted to do this.” She’s currently working on a FFA (Future Farmers of America) project about haskap berries she hopes to pursue a career in the research field of the berries in the future.

She started her venture last year by planting and growing haskap bushes. She likes it because “it’s different than what others in the valley are growing.” What’s the downfall? “Weeding,” she said.

Shelby is getting ready for summer break to continue to work on her business. She also enjoys reading and her animals. In the fall, she’ll be heading back to Flathead High School. Following graduation in a couple years, she’d like to go to the University of Saskatchewan, known as one of the top research universities in Canada. She’d like to research haskap berries there. She’s also interested in possibly studying to become an oncologist. Cancer has affected many members of her family so it’s of particular interest to her.

To purchase haskap berry bushes, visit Angie’s Greenhouse (1722 Hwy 2 E, Columbia Falls).

Shelby is also hoping to sell the berries at the Whitefish and Columbia Falls Farmer’s Markets this summer.

nonprofit}

Changed lives

By Kristen Hamilton Photo by Julia Price

Growing Through Adversity

From Victim to Survivor to “Thriver!”

Kayleigh Wichman doesn’t think of herself as a victim. At least, not any more. This former foster child and now child welfare professional is too busy sharing her passion about the current Montana foster care crisis and the importance of providing a healthy foster care experience for children who have experienced abuse and neglect.

Sometimes we become experts about something through adversity, and that is certainly the case for Kayleigh. As I spoke with this incredible young woman, she shared with me her “Top 4 Most Memorable Moments of Abuse and Neglect,” not to elicit pity, but to demonstrate how even through adversity, with experience and reflection, healing can come… this journey through adversity has made Kayleigh the child welfare champion that she is today.

w

28 406

oman.com

To know what makes Kayleigh tick, we need to go back to her life as a small child.

A poor, addiction riddled, single mom lives in the Seattle area with her three young children. Usually bouncing from place to place, she manages to scrape together a few bucks and rents a filthy, small apartment. The 3-year-old boy spends most of the time in a crib. Kayleigh, age 4, and her sister, age 5, sleep on a bare mattress on the floor. Mom leaves them alone much of the time…until she starts bringing tricks back to the apartment. Soon, Kayleigh becomes a victim of trafficking, providing extra money for mom’s habit. Into early adulthood, Kayleigh would be afraid of strangers and even after living in a safe home for many years, she would quake at the sound of someone coming home late at night.

Most memorable moment of abuse #1.

It’s a few years later and Kayleigh is now 8 years old.

Mom’s addiction is still strong. She can’t care for her kids but doesn’t want to give them up either. Under well intentioned family pressure, she leaves Seattle and rolls into Billings, Montana…. a place she’s never been and knows no one. But it seems like a good way to ditch the family who is always on her about getting

clean and taking better care of her kids. While mom goes to the bar, the children are locked in the back of a pick-up truck in a camper shell. The windows are too small to climb out and it’s rigged so when the tail-gate is up that you can’t open the door. There is nothing in that shell. No bathroom, no food, no water. In the parking lot of a Billings bar, Kayleigh spends a lot of time baking in that camper. As a young adult, she’s vigilant to always have food and water nearby. Most memorable moment of abuse #2.

Thrilled to be released from the camper, the children are dropped off at South Park. The children live in that park, alone, often for weeks at a time. They busied themselves playing at the wading pool, but when night came, and mom didn’t, they hid and slept on the grass. Dumpster diving and a little shoplifting provide an occasional meal. South Park is not in a great part of town and is filled with shady characters.

No one reports kids living alone. Most memorable moment of abuse #3.

When Kayleigh’s abuse and neglect are finally discovered, the children are removed from their mom and enter foster care. Kayleigh lives in three different foster homes. She doesn’t know it yet, but

nonprofit}

“I tried the victim hat on… not taking care of myself, making poor choices, wallowing in that sense of shame and low self-esteem.

I also tried on the “thriver” hat…and that one feels so much better!" this experience would stir in her a passion that would become a career.

At one home, Kayleigh accidently vacuums over a spot of water, ruining the vacuum. The vengeful and vitriolic foster mom has 10-year-old Kayleigh stand in the corner…for hour after hour, after hour…from 10 a.m. to midnight. Asking to use the rest room, she is denied. Unable to hold it any longer, she wets her pants. Still required to stand in the corner, she is told to take her pants and underwear off and place the urine-soaked underwear on her head. That night in bed, she and her sister whisper to one another that they wish they were both dead. Most memorable moment of abuse #4.

By now, the three children have another brother, Kenny, who had also been placed in foster care.

He is living about an hour away with a family who wants to adopt him. That Thanksgiving the Wichman’s invite Kaleigh, her brother and sister to join them and Kenny for the holiday.

By the end of that weekend, Kayleigh has an idea of what a healthy, loving family looks like, and the Wichman’s asked her to join their family! This was a moment of disbelief for Kayleigh. Really? Could she be part of something that seemed what normal should be? So, just before turning 12 years old, this child who had been told that she was “unadoptable” became a Wichman.

But joining a family isn’t easy. The trauma she’d experienced stayed with her and she faced depression and PTSD. Kayleigh spent her teen years feeling inadequate and frustrated. She wanted to be perfectly healed and “normal” but she felt damaged. Over time, Kayleigh says she decided to “embrace my mess.” “My Christian faith was instrumental and I embraced my identity in Christ. I accepted the things about myself that I couldn’t change. I decided to

view these things as nothing to be ashamed of and to use them as tools for connecting with others.”

Kayleigh continues, “I’m often complimented on my resiliency and asked what made me that way. I believe it’s about choices. It’s a choice to process your grief and build self-awareness, a choice to actively build a healthy support system and be authentic with others, a choice to choose optimism over pessimism and to allow strength to come from adversity.”

Kayleigh used those strengths to go on to college, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Work, and recently completed a Masters in Child and Adolescent Psychology.

She is living proof that adversity can be the fuel that ignites a fiery, world changing passion! Kayleigh now serves in the trenches of child welfare. She has worked as a Child Protection Specialist investigating reports of child abuse and neglect, worked with families to provide services to promote reunification with birth families, served as a Family Resource Specialist to train, support and license foster families and provided adolescent mental health services as a therapeutic program manager.

But with the breadth of this experience, there was one burning piece that Kayleigh felt wasn’t being addressed adequately…the need for more foster families who are well equipped, trauma informed and surrounded by a community of like-minded care givers. Kayleigh now serves as Director of Family Outreach and Community Support for Child Bridge, a faith-based non-profit that focuses directly on her passion and vision.

Kayleigh shares that in her own experience, and in that of hundreds of kids she’s worked with who are

victims of abuse and neglect, it is critical that a child have a healthy foster care experience. No matter how long they are in care, she believes that these young victims can glean positive and healing coping skills from quality families. Kayleigh says, “Any child being in foster care is an unfortunate experience. So, we have to make that experience the very best it can be.

The only way that can happen is to help families who are truly called to this hard work and continually come alongside them with supports and community to help improve the outcomes for young victims of trauma in their care. Well trained, well equipped families can make the difference between children who experience additional trauma and children who can be ‘thrivers’.”

Kayleigh says, “I tried the victim hat on… not taking care of myself, making poor choices, wallowing in that sense of shame and low self-esteem. I also tried on the “thriver” hat…and that one feels so much better! It is a daily choice, and some days it is harder than others.

But now, I know how to use what has happened to me for good…and when I reflect on that victim place, it is a place of strength… a place of empathy for others.”

If you would like to have Kayleigh speak at your church, group or next event, or would like to learn more about Child Bridge, please contact us: info@childbridgemontana.org

w

406

oman.com 29

business}

Tips 5 for Women Business Owners

Women are an integral part of the workforce, but they have had to overcome many obstacles along the way. Of course, challenges still remain, but women’s success in the working world is worth commemorating – which will happen on American Business Women’s Day Sept. 22. Are you a woman considering “setting up shop” on your own? If so, here are five tips to consider:

Balance your goals.

It’s possible – perhaps even likely – that your business goals will conflict with your personal financial goals. After all, if you’re purchasing new equipment or services for your business, you’ve got less money – at least for the time being – to put away for your own retirement or your children's education. Hopefully, your investment in your business will pay off in greater income, but,

w

32 406

oman.com

in any case, you will need to balance your personal and professional goals.

Create a retirement plan.

As mentioned above, your ability to contribute to a retirement plan may be affected by the amount you put into your business – but that certainly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a retirement plan. In fact, for your future financial security, it’s essential that you launch such a plan.

Fortunately, small-business owners have a choice of plans, including an “owner-only” 401(k), SEP-IRA and SIMPLE IRA. Although the various plans have different requirements and contribution limits, they all offer tax-deferred earnings, which means your money has the opportunity to grow faster than if it were placed in a vehicle on which you paid taxes every year. (Taxes are due upon withdrawal, and withdrawals prior to age 59 ½ may be subject to a 10% IRS penalty.) Plus, your contributions to a retirement plan may be tax deductible.

Arrange for “backup.”

Virtually all working women are familiar with the conflict between their careers and their roles as caregivers. Women are still more likely than men to drop out of the workforce for an extended period of time to care for young children or elderly parents.

And your caregiving responsibilities won’t end just because you are now a business owner. Consequently, you need to have someone you trust available to step in for you when your family obligations call you away from work.

Design a succession plan.

When you want to retire, would you like to keep the business in your family? If so, you’ll need to create a succession plan that works for you and whomever you’d like to take control. Such a plan can be complex, so you will need to work with your legal and tax advisors – and you’ll want to give yourself plenty of time to work out the details.

business}

Virtually all working women are familiar with the conflict between their careers and their roles as caregivers. Women are still more likely than men to drop out of the workforce for an extended period of time to care for young children or elderly parents.

Build an emergency fund.

Maintaining an adequate cash flow will always be a key task – one that involves your sales, billing cycles, inventory and other elements of your business. One way you can help yourself avoid troubles is to maintain an emergency fund consisting of a few months’ worth of your business expenses. You’ll want to keep this fund in a liquid, low-risk account.

Running your own business can be extremely rewarding, but it’s never going to be an easy road. However, with perseverance and careful planning, you can smooth out some of the bumps along the way — and give yourself reason to celebrate American Business Women’s Day. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Marin L. Felz One of the greatest joys of being a Financial Advisor is partnering with a client in a path towards empowerment.

When you realize you can be an engaged participant in your financial future, evaluating where you're at, defining where you want to be, and understanding how you'll get there, it is truly empowering!

w

406

oman.com 33

legal}

Estate Planning at Every Age & Stage in Life

By Kelly O’Brien, Attorney at Law

A friend and I were recently chatting about our busy lives. She asked me about my work and what I do as an estate planning attorney.

She was not sure what was involved in estate planning and how it works. My friend surprised me when she said; “I am young so I do not need to worry about estate planning yet.” This surprised me because while my friend was in her thirties, which is relatively young, she and her spouse owned a home and had young children. She is actually a good candidate for estate planning.

Ultimately, every age and stage of adulthood can benefit from estate planning. However, the focus of an estate plan may shift as life changes. Your estate planning needs when you have young children may shift after your children leave the house and you retire.

It is also important to recognize that anything can happen at any time in life.

For purposes of this article I will focus on estate planning through the decades as the milestones in life which requires broad generalizations. However, I also recognize that every situation is different and these milestones come at different ages for every individual.

Whether you have accumulated a large amount of wealth, or only have a few assets; single or married; have young children, adult children, grandchildren or no children at all, everyone has an "estate." Estate planning enables you to be in control of what happens to your property upon your death or incapacity and allows you to decide to appoint the individual of your choosing to be responsible for carrying out your wishes for your assets, family and heath care decisions.

w

Estate Planning Basics

First, it is helpful to understand the elements of an estate plan. A basic estate plan includes Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney for financial 34 406

oman.com

decisions, Durable Power of Attorney for health care decisions, and a Living Will. Sometimes an estate plan will also include a Revocable Living Trust or other trust provisions.

A Last Will and Testament appoints a personal representative for your estate and sets out your plan of distribution of your assets.

A Durable Power of Attorney for financial decisions is a document wherein you appoint

another individual to make financial decisions and handle your financial matters on your behalf if you are unable to make these decisions yourself due to incapacity or disability.

A Durable Power of Attorney for healthcare decisions is a document wherein you appoint another individual to make medical decisions on your behalf including decisions regarding medical consents and life support issues in the event you are unable to make these decisions yourself.

Knowing the basic elements of estate planning is helpful as you move through the various stages in life.

Estate Planning in Your Twenties

Twenties is often a time when you are focused on where you are heading in life. You are likely more concerned about college, career, and relationships than on estate planning. Twenties are a time when you are just starting to accumulate assets of your own.

While you may only be starting out in your twenties it important to consider a few minimal estate planning steps.

Beneficiary Designations for Bank & Financial Accounts

Perhaps one of the easiest and most important steps in estate planning is to designate beneficiaries for bank accounts and other financial assets. Any individual that has a bank or investment account, no matter how big or small, can take this easy estate planning step and ensure that the accounts will pass directly to the

designated beneficiary, which are often referred to as P.O.D. or T.O.D. designations. To accomplish this, contact your bank or financial instruction directly and they can provide you with the necessary beneficiary designation forms.

Execute a Health Care Power of Attorney

A health care power of attorney is highly beneficial in your twenties, especially if you are attending a college away from home, or if you travel a significant amount of time. A health care power of attorney appoints someone to communicate medical decisions and informs medical providers as to who to call on your behalf in the event of an emergency. While your parents may have previously filled this role, upon reaching the age of eighteen, your parents no longer have the legal authority to speak on your behalf without a health care power of attorney.

Estate Planning in Your Thirties

Estate Planning for a recent college graduate is very different from estate planning for an individual in her mid-thirties with children. By the thirties many individuals begin to settle down and have families, buy homes, and become more established in careers, which may make estate planning more pressing.

Execute a Basic Will

When you arrive in your thirties you begin to start accumulating assets. Therefore, it is beneficial to execute a basic will. A Last Will and Testament appoints a personal representative to manage your estate and sets out your plan of distribution of your assets. If you have minor children a Last Will and Testament can designate who will care for your children if you cannot.

Planning for Minor Children

If your children are minors, you should nominate a guardian to care for your children if you are unable to do so yourself. The appointment of a guardian is one of the most important estate planning decision for parents of young children so it is important to have

Typically, the forties and fifties are a time where life becomes more established. Your family may have grown, you may be more focused on retirement planning and you will likely have more assets that you want to protect for the future. a conversation with your spouse and other family members about who would raise your children appropriately.

maintenance to thinking more about long-term care and incapacity planning and disposition of assets.

Also, appoint an individual to manage the finances for your children. For younger children, consider setting up a trust for their inheritance. With a trust for minor children, a trustee of your choosing will mange funds for your children. The trustee will distribute funds for their general care until they reach the age of majority, or until such age or life event that you deem appropriate.

Review and Update Your Estate Plan

Estate Planning in Your Forties and Fifties

Typically, the forties and fifties are a time where life becomes more established. Your family may have grown, you may be more focused on retirement planning and you will likely have more assets that you want to protect for the future. While you may not yet be overly concerned with estate planning there are some significant estate planning issues to consider during middle age.

Establish an Estate Plan

If you have not already done so, it is important to have an estate plan in place by your forties.

Again, a basic estate plan consists of a Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Decisions and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care decisions and in some cases a Revocable Living Trust, or testamentary trust provisions in a Last Will and Testament.

Review Your Beneficiary Designations

Review the beneficiary designations for your bank and financial accounts to make sure that the proper beneficiaries are named, and the beneficiary designations fit within your overall estate plan.

Remember, a beneficiary designation trumps a will, so keeping your beneficiary designations updated to reflect your current life situation is essential.

Consider Long-term Care Insurance Options

Long-term care insurance is a separate type of insurance to assist with the cost of long-term health and personal care services, such as home care providers or care facilities. While long-term care may not be on the top list of concerns in midlife, late fifties can be the best time to obtain an affordable long-term care policy. If you wait too long to obtain long-term care insurance the rates may become too high to afford. Moreover, if you later develop health issues, you may not qualify for long-term care insurance. Discuss your options with your insurance advisor to determine your eligibility and rates to determine if long-term care insurance is a good option for you.

Estate Planning in Your Sixties, Seventies and Beyond

Often the sixties are a time where individuals begin to make steps towards retirement. Children grow up and move towards lives of their own.

Estate planning at this stage in life shifts from

By your sixties you have lived long enough where you likely have experienced several major life changes, such as divorce, the death of a spouse, birth of grandchildren or move to a new state.

Review your existing estate plan to determine if it still reflects your current life situation, discuss it with your attorney and update it as necessary.

You may need a more comprehensive estate plan, such as a revocable living trust, due to increased accumulation of assets. Conversely, you may need to simplify your estate plan at this stage in life. An estate plan will only be effective in carrying out your personal planning goals if they reflect your life as it exists today.

Update Durable Powers of Attorney

Durable powers of attorney for health and financial decisions address concerns regarding a potential incapacity. Through power of attorney documents it may be possible to avoid a guardianship or conservatorship proceeding through the court system. These documents allow your life to carry on during a disability, your bills will be paid, and the person you choose will provide for your care.

Accordingly, executing powers of attorney can provide significant peace of mind for incapacity planning.

Review Long-term Care Options

If you have not established long term care insurance by the age of sixty, consider your options as soon as possible. Again, long-term care insurance can provide significant benefits assisting with the cost of long-term care and it may still be an affordable option in your early sixties. There are various policy types and certain investment riders to consider.

Discuss your options with your insurance and financial advisors as soon as possible.

Don’t Delay Estate Planning

Don’t wait until you reach retirement age to begin estate planning. Regardless of your age and stage in life there are simple steps you can take to establish an estate plan to protect your assets and provide you with peace of mind. As life changes, review your estate plan and make sure it fits with your current life situation. Discuss your concerns with your professional advisors and family members to make sure your plan adequately addresses your concerns and unique situation. The key to any effective estate plan is flexibility, and regular review of your plan with your advisors.

If you have additional questions regarding estate planning or incapacity planning contact Kelly O’Brien, Measure, Sampsel, Sullivan & O’Brien, P.C. at (406) 752-6373/ www.measurelaw.com

w

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

406

oman.com 35

profile}

She’s Back & the TOAST

of the town!

By Kristen Hamilton Photo by Amanda Wilson Photography

By the time you hold this issue of 406 Woman in your hands, Kristin Voisin will be back on the Flathead food scene with her latest venture Toast, Coffee - Savory – Sweet.

Voisin calls Toast and offshoot of Trubys – the business she owned in Columbia Falls & Whitefish for 22 years. Trubys closed this winter and so many customers have stepped forward letting her know that she’s been missed and they are happy she’s back in business. When she hears that she knows she’s on the right path.

Toast is located at Stumptown Marketplace (12 Spokane Ave, Whitefish) where the Polebridge Merc business stood. It’ll be open morning, afternoon and night.

Voisin has been doing a lot of research for the new restaurant and has enjoyed creating the menu that is definitely unique to the area. She noted that the original idea for the restaurant stemmed from a friend of hers in Portland.

w

36 406

oman.com

For her coffee drinks, she’ll feature Seven Coffee from a roaster based in the University District in Seattle. They’ll use locally made bread for the “toast” items, which will pair items like Nutella, banana, and honey or her favorite goat cheese and pear with jalapeno raspberry marmalade. There will also be a couple of the local’s favorite pizzas from Trubys.

A few other unique offerings include a special (sheet) potato dish Voisin described that sounds delectable. Sweet and savory waffles will also be featured along with milkshakes and Italian sodas.

She stressed that the menu will cross over and you’ll be able to get a cup of coffee into the evening, which is difficult in town now.

If you want a meal to go or even have a small dinner party catered, Toast will offer that as well.

The new space may be small in comparison to other locations but with Voisin at the helm, you can count on a great bite for sure.

Although she’s been in the public eye as a restaurateur for over 20 years, Voisin comes across as being a touch shy. She grew up in Whitefish and after a stint in the Navy for four years, returned home and started in working in the food industry. She admits that she has always loved the food scene.

To those that know Voisin, family is everything and although she’s close to being an empty nester, her kids will always be a priority to her.

What does she serve when everyone is gathered around the table? Spaghetti and meatballs with her homemade sauce that everyone loves. She stays in shape by running and she’s loves the new Whitefish Trails system.

Voisin has been doing a lot of research for the new restaurant and has enjoyed creating the menu that is definitely unique to the area. profile} Toast With Toast, Coffee – Savory – Sweet…she’s happy to start small and see what happens.

Voisin’s passion is to use the restaurant as a platform to give back. She’ll start out using the restaurant proceeds to feed hungry children in the valley. From there she’ll see where it takes her but she’s impressed with Lauren Bush Lauren’s company FEED Projects and what they have been able to accomplish to help feed the world since 2007. Voisin’s ultimate goal is to work with an orphanage in Mexico.

Kristin – we’re glad you’re back! We TOAST you!

w

406

oman.com 37

A

business}

Farm for all The Event at Rebecca Farm

Photo by Shannon Brinkmanship Photography In addition to four adrenaline-fueled days for horse lovers, there’s a niche for shoppers, foodies, the communityminded, and kids. If you’ve never taken in The Event, here are six fun reasons to include it into your summer plans: l Shopping FairA wide array of artisan goods await those with a passion for shopping. Vendors offer beautiful, handcrafted jewelry, rugs and garments as well as a diverse array of unique and beautifully crafted items, from wind chimes to leather boots. The Shopping Fair offers a significant number of Montana-made items as well as quality equestrian supplies.

l Eclectic EatsFrom Thai to tacos and burgers to berry bowls there’s something for every palate.

A mouthwatering menu is available each day from on-site food carts, along with

w

40 406

oman.com

While it’s true that The Event at Rebecca Farm is attended by legions of world-class equestrian teams, The Event at Rebecca Farm offers much more than “just horses;” there is literally something for every member of the family to enjoy and admission to The Event is free (although a $10 dollar parking donation that benefits Halt Cancer at X is recommended). an array of beverages. Finish a satisfying meal with hand-dipped ice cream or a shaved ice chaser.

l Kids ZoneThe Kids Zone is a safe, nurturing place for children to make memories at Rebecca Farm. Arts and crafts, face painting, pony rides and mini golf are among the many activities offered to make this an extra special outing for the kids. Even better, all activities in the Kids Zone are free. l Pony UpA unique opportunity for aspiring young equestrians to learn the basics of horsemanship. Held in the Kids Zone, Pony Up is open to the public and free to attend. Featuring ponies, Polly Pocket and Silver, collaborate with expert teachers in hour-long, interactive sessions Friday through Sunday. Children of all ages are taught the particulars of safety in

approaching a horse, how to use grooming tools and proper procedure in the mount and dismount. Kids also learn about the types of horses, their common colors and markings and how to saddle up. There are three sessions per day on Friday and Saturday and two Sunday.

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. More information is available at Rebeccafarm.org.

l Show JumpingThe sport of eventing grew out of military preparedness training, originally known as “Militaire.” Only the strongest, bravest, and most disciplined made the cut, and today’s sport of “eventing” is modeled upon those rigors.

Show jumping, the final “test” of the three-day triathlon, calls upon the horse and rider for one last, herculean effort. And though frontrunners may have emerged in the initial two events (dressage and cross country),

Photos by Noah Clayton Photography

The Kids Zone is a safe, nurturing place for children to make memories at Rebecca Farm. Arts and crafts, face painting, pony rides and mini golf are among the many activities offered to make this an extra special outing for the kids.

Even better, all activities in the Kids Zone are free. the final event of show jumping is a test of true mettle: Having endured the disciplined dressage and a grueling cross-country steeplechase, only the crème de la crème compete in show jumping flawlessly. Horse and rider vault a series of jumps in the show ring, which require timing, strength and extraordinary endurance. Knocking down just one rail can make all the difference for these competitors, making for a thrilling spectator experience. You’ll not want to miss this final Sunday event!

l Halt-Cancer at X ChallengeAfter a fun-filled day of spectating, shopping, and play, take a peak behind the curtain.

Thematic, “en costume” performances feature The Event directors, officiants, USEA leadership, and other key participants in a light-hearted parody of the day’s events.

And though the spoof provides comic relief at

day’s end, it’s also a reminder that The Event is about more than “just horses.” Nightly performances raise awareness of the Event’s corollary non-profit, “Halt Cancer at X” and Halt Cancer’s ongoing work to fund cancer research and cancer support services, both locally and nationally.

The Event at Rebecca Farm is about camaraderie and community, valor and volunteerism; it brings its own kind of Flathead Valley magic, and best of all, it’s free!* Even if you’re not a “horse person” The Event at Rebecca Farm has something for everyone. If you’ve never attended, make this July the one you come and share the magic.

w

*A $10 donation for parking is appreciated but not required. Proceeds go to Halt Cancer at X to help fund cancer research and support services.

406

oman.com 41

w

42 406

oman.com

w

406

oman.com 43

health}

Make the most of your summer, naturally!

Summer in Montana brings countless opportunities for fun and adventure. We are blessed to have a variety of options at our fingertips; from mountain sports like hiking and biking, to water recreation and everything in between. Or, maybe your job brings you outdoors; farming, ranching, park rangers and so many more. Unfortunately, the season can also bring on battles with allergies, insects, and general discomfort from too many outdoor adventures.

Before visiting the doctor's office or your local drug store, try natural solutions for your summertime struggles. Herbal extracts and formulas from Mountain Meadow Herbs can provide the answers to the health questions you have, naturally and effectively. And better yet, it’s all made right here in Montana!

w

44 406

oman.com

Herbal Respiratory is a growing favorite for families who use natural means to keep healthy. Having been a must-have winter tonic for years, it’s becoming more of a year-round remedy to keep on hand.

As the seasons change, the respiratory system is often challenged. The summer pollen, dust, and general environmental irritations can cause just as much respiratory distress as the winter colds and flus. People young and old can benefit from herbs that naturally support the respiratory system and safely bring relief.

This simple yet potent blend of herbs is helpful to loosen mucus in the lungs and bronchial tubes and support against swelling and itching.

Another great annoyance during the summer is Mosquitos and other biting insects. A perfect evening on the lake or around a campfire can be ruined by a swarm of these blood-sucking pests. The itchy bites and growing prevalence of mosquito-borne illness makes No-MoSquito one of our summertime favorite formulas. This effective herbal combination

is an excellent first line of defense against summer bugs. Forget the chemical sprays and hovering around the candles, get out there and enjoy the outdoors, bug-free!

“Mosquitoes usually won’t leave me alone.

I decided to try No-Mo-Squito and took it as directed for a week prior to our trip to Africa. I was very concerned with being bitten and getting sick. We were there for two weeks and I never got bit. That was a miracle for me!” - Faye K.

Whether you work or play in the great outdoors, muscle and joint pain from overexertion are a common problem. The long, cold winter makes us dream of warm, summer days and when they finally arrive, we tend to overdo it, causing aches that only get worse as we age. Whether it’s our muscles, joints, tendons, or ligaments that are causing problems, they all have this in common; it’s all part of an inflammatory process.

Luckily, nature provides solutions to mitigate this process.

health} herbal medicine An alphabet of vitamins, Omega 3’s, antioxidants, and other minerals can all provide support and even relief for joints and muscles. The comprehensive blend of herbs we use in our Joint & Muscle Formula are all vitamin-rich and carefully chosen for their inclusion of these essential, inflammation-fighting compounds.

Swollen, achy joints and muscles, bad knees, and back discomfort no longer have to keep you from enjoying each and every summer day to its fullest. A little natural support goes a long way; so next time you decide to put your body to the test, leave the pill bottle home and put your trust in nature. Follow your hard day with another dose to help you sleep and enjoy the healing effects it has on your body.

Winters are long in Montana and summers are short. They’re even shorter when we’re stuck inside nursing achy joints, avoiding biting pests, or fighting the drowsiness from your over-the-counter antihistamine. We’re lucky to live and play here, so let’s make the most out of every day.

Here’s to a summer of fun, productive outdoor workdays, and enjoying good health, naturally! Visit us online or stop by our store in Somers. With over 40 herbal formulas and even more single extracts, we’ve got something for everyone, no matter what’s got you down! www.mmherbs.com 1019 Hard Rock Rd., Somers, MT 1.888.528.8615

w

406

oman.com 45

health}

Small Beads Have big impact for pediatric cancer patients

By Mellody Sharpton

For thousands of years and in cultures across the world, beads have had a wide variety of uses and significance. They’ve carried value, having been traded for items such as pelts, spices or gold. They’ve had every-day uses, such as prayer tools, counting tools, or weights. They’ve signified strength and courage, protecting heroes on quests or long journeys.

Today, most of us don’t equate beads with thoughts of significance. We wear them as jewelry or use them to create craft projects. But for pediatric oncology/ hematology patients, beads have great significance as proud symbols of their fight against cancer and blood disorders.

Beads of Courage, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to strengthening resilience and promoting the well-being of children coping with serious illness, their families, and the clinicians who care for them. Since the organization started in 2003, it has established programs at more than 240 hospitals in eight countries. Thanks to the support of the Kalispell Regional Healthcare (KRH) Foundation, KRH launched a Beads of Courage program at the organization’s Pediatric Oncology and Hematology office in 2017. Since that time, more than 30 children — ranging in age from 8 months to 20 years — have participated in the program.

“For me, it’s a way to connect with patients and their experiences,” said Carri Stoker-Postier, LCSW, who serves as the pediatric social worker for the KRH pediatric subspecialty clinics. In addition to providing emotional support, she helps patients and their families cope with the processes and procedures involved in a child’s medical care. “For families, it gives them a tool to talk to each other about what’s happening to them. For staff, it provides them a way to support the child during treatment.”

Through the program children tell their story of their journey using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that they receive to honor and acknowledge each step of their treatment. At the beginning of treatment, children are given a string of beads that spells their name. With each treatment or procedure, beads are given according to a program specific program bead guide. They

w

46 406

oman.com

Jesse Mitchell, II, proudly showing his Beads of Courage. may receive a blue bead for a clinic visit, a yellow bead for overnight stays in the hospital or a glowin-the dark bead for a radiation treatment. Other beads may be given for encouragement, such as a Fish Bead that signifies long distance travel for care or an “upstream battle.” For milestones in their treatment journey, they receive handmade one-of-a-kind glass beads. The most symbolic are the Purple Heart Bead, signifying the end of cancer treatment, and the glass Butterfly Bead, which is given to a child’s family if the child loses the battle against cancer.

When strung together, the beads form a visual roadmap of the child’s journey, which can range from months to years. Children look forward to receiving their next bead. Not only is the Beads of Courage program meaningful for children, it’s also therapeutic.

The program helps to decrease illness related distress, increase the use of positive coping strategies, helps children and families find meaning in illness, and restore a sense of self in those coping with serious illness. The program also

provides something the child can use to tell about their experience during treatment and after.

For Catalina Mitchell, of Plains, Montana, the beads are especially meaningful. On June 2, 2017, her 7-year-old son, Jesse, was diagnosed with cancer. Having also experienced the passing of Jesse’s father, this news was exponentially difficult. The Beads of Courage program helped focus Mitchell’s perspective by actively reflecting on each step of Jesse’s cancer journey. “[The beads] give us hope. They don’t bring back bad memories. If we didn’t have the beads, no one would understand what he’s gone through.

Everybody that sees them … their heart drops,” said Mitchell, “He thinks they’re really cool. He’s proud of himself … such a brave little boy.”

In less than a year of treatment, Jesse has accumulated hundreds of beads. They fill four

necklaces that proudly hang on the rear view mirror of Catalina’s car, and the rest fills a wood-turned jar that a friend custom made to hold Jesse’s beads.

“For me, the beads mean so much. They all represent something different. They show us his journey, everything he’s gone through. They bring happiness to something that is horrible,” said Mitchell.

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 15,270 children in the U.S. under the age of 19 will be diagnosed with cancer this year. For those families a child’s cancer diagnosis can be a significant stressor that affects the psychosocial well-being of family members through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship and/or end of life.

Understanding that cancer impacts the entire family is critical.

In 2015, KRH established a comprehensive pediatric specialty care program with the addition of pediatric subspecialists including pediatric oncology and hematology.

Since that time the program has grown to include more than 30 pediatric subspecialists, a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and many other specialized services for young patients.

With local access to pediatric care, reducing the burden on families to travel out of state, and programs like Beads of Courage that help families cope with the challenges of a chronic illness, the negative effects of cancer on the family unit are reduced.

“Our participation in this program honors the courage that exists when children, their families, and communities face serious illnesses and reinforces the sharing of a very powerful voice using a visual narrative,” said Stoker-Postier. “Every single bead means something that child has endured during their treatment journey. Bringing an art-based intervention into the health care environment provides a way to promote their confidence and understand their own strength; it has an incredible impact on supporting wellness.”

How can you help pediatric patients?

· Carry a Bead to encourage a child in our program with the bead you carry and return.

The bead you return, along with a card that describes the adventure that you carried it on, will be given to a child on a tough treatment day or to celebrate a treatment milestone. Log on to beadsofcourage.org to learn more. · Give a pediatric Wish List item. The Pediatric Unit, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric physical therapy departments have special needs for items that help enhance pediatric patients’ experiences. · Contribute to the KRH Foundation’s Pediatric Services fund, which helps support programs like Beads of Courage and other psychosocial interventions for children. Log on to krh.org/foundation to learn more.

w

406

oman.com 47

health}

Plantar Fasciitis

By Esther Barnes, DPM, FACFAS

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel, and one of the most common problems affecting peoples’ feet, in general. Pain usually comes on gradually and is often worse first thing in the morning, or when standing up after sitting for a while, but tends to ease a little when the foot is warmed up. There are many simple things that can be done to help relieve pain related to Plantar Fasciitis including stretches, taping, exercises, sports massage, and more.

Symptoms

Symptoms of plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia, a ligament present on the bottom or arch of the foot) consist of a gradual onset of pain under the heel which may radiate forward into the arch of the foot. There may be tenderness under the sole (bottom) of the foot and on the inside of the heel when pressing on it. The pain can range from being slightly uncomfortable to very painful and debilitating.

Pain is usually worse first in the morning because the foot has been in a relaxed position all night and the plantar fascia temporarily shortens as one usually sleeps with the toes pointing downwards slightly.

After walking around this usually eases as the tissues warm up and the plantar fascia gradually stretches out. Oftentimes, though, periods of moving around following inactivity such as sitting for long periods can also trigger the pain.

Causes

Plantar fasciitis is an overuse injury caused by repetitive over-stretching of the plantar fascia, which is a thick fan-shaped band of tissue that runs under the foot and covers the muscles in the bottom (plantar aspect) of the foot. Through overuse the fascia can become inflamed, sometimes thickened, and painful at its attachment to the heel bone or calcaneus, most commonly. The condition is traditionally thought to be inflammation; however, this is now believed to be incorrect due to the absence of actual inflammatory cells within the fascia and degeneration is thought to be a more likely cause.

w

It is more common in sports which involve running, dancing or jumping. Although overuse is ultimately the cause of injury, there are a number of factors 48 406

oman.com

which can increase the likelihood of developing it including poor footwear, tight calf muscles, repeated and forceful stretching or pounding (on a hard surface), a sudden increase in the intensity of a workout or sports activity, faulty foot mechanics (flat arches, rigid high arches), being overweight, and having had a previous injury.

Treatment

For treatment a combination of approaches is usually best.

Reducing pain and inflammation, if present, is the first priority. Applying the PRICE principles of protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation is important. A helpful tip is to lightly roll the foot on a frozen water bottle, which provides cold therapy as well as gentle massage. Cold therapy can be applied for 20 minutes every hour if the injury is particularly painful for the first 24 to 48 hours, but can be reduced to 3 times a day as symptoms subside. Ice should not be applied directly to the skin but through a wet tea towel to avoid cold injury to the skin.

Transitioning to structured, rigid soled (not flexible soled), and non-slip-on shoes is also important.

The more structured the shoe, the less stress on the plantar fascia therefore less pain. Sticking to nonslip-on shoes, especially when walking a lot, allows the toes to relax and not be forced to grip to hold the shoes on or in place; this also allows the plantar fascia to relax, as there are bands of it that extend to the toes. Avoiding walking barefoot also helps, even in the house. A night splint is sometimes needed and helpful. It helps prevent the arch of the foot from tightening up; therefore minimizing the instant stretching when you awaken that may cause pain with your first steps in the morning.

Taping the foot is an excellent way of instantly relieving the symptoms and pain under the heel.

There are various methods of applying tape for this injury. It works by unloading some of the strain on the plantar fascia allowing the tissues to recover, and therefore heal. Tape may need to be applied regularly until symptoms resolve but many people notice an immediate improvement. Tape should not be applied if a person has diabetes (risk for abrasions, wounds, infections), or if one has numbness or loss of protective sensation for reasons other than diabetes, as it is difficult to know if there are any “hot spots” or problematic areas without feeling.

Your podiatrist or physical therapist can often get you started on a taping regimen, and determine if this may be beneficial for you.

Orthotics, either off-the-shelf (“prefabricated”) or custom-molded, may be helpful, as well. Custom Orthotics are made from a cast or scan of your individual foot. They are made to fit you, and no one else. They are designed to not only address your specific foot issue, but also to fit your feet perfectly, not approximately. This greatly increases their effectiveness in reducing pain and correcting existing mechanical imbalances. However, custommolded orthotics are only sometimes necessary to address pain related to plantar fasciitis, and most of the time pain can resolve with use of prefabricated orthotics, especially when selected based on your specific foot shape. Your podiatrist can assist with this if pain hasn’t improved with your own attempts. Gait analysis may also be done to identify any biomechanical foot problems, and orthotics prescribed accordingly.

Physical therapy is sometimes needed, as well, where certain modalities such as electrotherapy and

health}

The plantar fascia runs along the bottom of the foot, from the heel to the toes. ultrasound, may be utilized to assist with relieving symptoms and manual techniques such as massage may be beneficial. For more stubborn injuries that do not resolve with all the measures listed above, a corticosteroid injection may be given and if symptoms do not resolve then surgery is an option, but this is extremely rare.

Plantar fasciitis exercises

Exercises to stretch the plantar fascia and more so calf muscles take priority initially over strengthening. Calf muscle stretches with the leg straight (to target the larger gastrocnemius muscle) and with the knee bent (targeting the lower soleus muscles) are done 3 to 5 times are day, holding the stretches for up to 30 seconds at a time. The plantar fascia stretch is done by pulling the foot and toes upwards aiming to feel a stretch in the arch of the foot. Initially, when pain is severe, it is recommended to focus on stretching the calf muscles as tight calf muscles contribute to increased stress on the plantar fascia, and plantar fasciitis. Once pain is less severe, stretching the foot is helpful, as is strengthening the small muscles in the foot (“intrinsic” muscles) in attempt to address any small muscle imbalances that can lead to overworking of the plantar fascia, as well. Scrunching a towel up with the toes, or using toes to move a towel on the floor, can get the small muscles of the foot working.

Surgery

Surgery for plantar fasciitis may be considered in <1% of people whose symptoms do not improve, even after continuous treatment. However, the success rate is still only estimated at around 70-80%. Complications can include nerve irritation or injury, infection, ongoing symptoms, and increased stress on other areas of the foot, as the plantar fascia does play an important mechanical role in balance of different parts of the foot. Oftentimes, if a significantly tight calf muscle is felt to be the main reason for pain not to improve with the measures mentioned above (physical therapy, shoes, orthotics, stretching, taping), the calf is surgical lengthened instead.

Dr. Esther Barnes, DPM, FACAS

practices at Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Clinic in Kalispell, where she enjoys treating all foot and ankle concerns.

She is certified, in both Foot Surgery and Reconstructive Rearfoot / Ankle Surgery, by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.

w

406

oman.com 49

health}

Pilates is Therapy

By Delia Buckmaster, Pilates Educator Photos by Andrew Chad

Do you believe that you can manifest whatever you want? If you look around, how much of what you see is the product of your ability to create the world around you? Let’s go back to my life about one year ago. For the most part I moved with ease.

If I overexerted myself it could take a few days to recover but nothing that was chronic for too long.

I would go from the couch to a 30-mile bike ride or 20-mile hike and be sore but nothing a quick Pilates session or downtime couldn’t remedy. I frequent the chiropractor and he lectures me on how I need to practice what I preach or these “small” indiscretions in my body are going to get worse. After all, Pilates is prescribed by many Chiropractors and Physical Therapists (insert eye rolling emoji).

My education and training is mainly injury and special populations.

I knew first hand and understood things like pre and post-natal, c-section, and the normal every day ailments and sports related injuries. What most clients seem to have in common is lower back pain. My normal response was genuine and sympathetic. My job is to come up with a solution to deal with the pain as best as I could with the knowledge that I had. It wasn’t until over three months ago when I picked up a heavy piece of Pilates equipment that my sympathy turned in to compassion.

The diagnosis was SI joint dysfunction. What? Why? How? I was now obsessed with it. I read every article, ordered books on Amazon, and searched for exercises on YouTube. I won’t get in to boring anatomy details but as it turns out its more common than I thought. The pain was so bad I couldn't sit, lie on the couch, or drive in the car without crying for three weeks. Not only was this physically traumatizing but it was emotionally traumatizing as well. My anxiety levels were significantly high.

What’s changed since the injury? I believe I manifested this injury so I could use my experience and knowledge to help others. Or maybe it's a coincidence that more than ever, clients are coming in with “tight hips” or lower back pain. Whatever the reason, the basis of Joseph Pilates work was therapy. The “Pilates body” we get from the exercises is an added bonus.

Here are just a few of the Pilates exercises with some therapeutic modifications to awaken your body and help ease hip and lower back discomfort. They can be done more than once a day if needed. However, if you have a serious injury, please consult a medical professional before trying these exercises.

w

50 406

oman.com

High Lunge Hip Stretch

This stretch is similar to a crescent lunge. Line your forward knee with ankle, feet in parallel. Find your deepest hip stretch before extending the back. Make sure the deep extension comes from the upper back.

Arms stay in line with the ears. Lower and lift the back heel for added stretch.

Bridging

This is a great hip "reset" exercise. Pelvis stays neutral.

Lift and lower and hips keeping the back as straight as possible. Imagine your hips as a door hinge. Don't roll through the spine.

health} Single Leg Glute Stretch

Anchored push-up

With the head down, pull one knee in to the chest, then bring it over to the opposite side. For an added ab exercise, lift the head and shoulders off the mat and slowly switch legs for 10 sets.

Find a modified plank by first going in to a high plank then lowering the knees. Anchor the toes and line the hands under the shoulders. Lower the upper body toward the mat keeping the head in line with the shoulders and the elbows close to your side. Tip: only go as low as you can maintain proper head , shoulder and hip alignment

Anchored Back Extensions

Toes anchored to mat, knees down and as close together as you can, pubic bone presses softly in to mat and nose hovered above. Hover the upper body off the mat and take 8-10 deep rib cage breaths while stabilizing the lower half of the body, squeezing the shoulder blades together.

Tip: brace the abs so that the extension comes from the middle back.

w

52 406

oman.com

health}

Choosing The Right Birth Control To Fit Your Needs!

By Kassandra Patton

There are so many birth control options available to choose from today that picking which method is best for you may seem a bit overwhelming. Let me help by breaking down the options based on how often each method requires your attention. Working with your provider, we can find the best birth control to fit your lifestyle!

Daily

Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP’s) or “The Pill” Combined Oral Contraceptive Pills (COCP) COCP’s contain a dosage of both progestin and estrogen to prevent ovulation and thus prevent pregnancy. The hormones also work by thickening the cervical mucus and making it difficult for semen to get past the cervix and into the uterus. COCP’s generally have three weeks of an active pill and one week of placebo or “sugar” pills. Some COCP have three months of active pills and one week of placebo pills, which allows the user to have a period every three months. COCP’s come in many different

w

54 406

oman.com

PART ONE

formulations and dosages, which mean that a woman can usually find a pill that works well with her body.

The most common side effects of COCP’s are slight nausea or headache in the first few weeks, mood changes, irregular bleeding for the first few months, and weight gain. If you are over 35 and smoke, have a history of cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure; this medication may not be appropriate for you. Effectiveness of this birth control is from 9399% when used and taken properly.

Progestin Only Pills (POP). POP’s contain a single dose of progestin for each day of the pill package with no placebo days. A woman may experience a light period during her normal, expected time, or she may have no period at all. The most common side effect with POP’s is irregular bleeding or “spotting”.

A woman with pre-existing depression may also find that POP’s may worsen this so it is important to discuss any concerns with your provider prior to starting this method. Effectiveness is anywhere from 93-99% when used and taken properly. This method is safe to use when breastfeeding. It is important to take this medication at the same time each day to maintain the highest effectiveness.

Weekly

Ortho Evra Patch. This patch has the same type of ingredients as the COCP’s, but instead of daily usage, you apply a patch that is changed once per week to the skin on your hip for three weeks. During the fourth week, a patch is not used which allows the user to have a period at a predictable time during that week. There is only one available dosage with this product and its effectiveness is anywhere from 93-99% depending on actual usage. There has been some evidence that the patch may not be as effective in women weighing more than 198 pounds thus an alternative method may be needed.

Monthly

Nuva Ring The Nuva Ring is a small plastic ring-shaped device that is inserted into the vagina once per month. It is removed after three weeks and thrown away. The woman does not use anything for one week and it is during this week that she should have a predictable period. The device works the same way as the COCP and patch, using progestin and estrogen to prevent ovulation and increase cervical mucus. The Nuva Ring is able to use a lower dose of estrogen

health} than either the patch or most COCP’s and so estrogen-based side effects such as nausea, breast tenderness and headache are reduced.

Effectiveness is anywhere from 93-99% depending on actual usage.

Every 3 months

Depo Provera Injection Depo Provera is a single dosage of progestin given every 3 months through a shot in the muscle at the doctor’s office. It boasts 97-99% effectiveness with minimal effort on the part of the woman using it.

Some women experience irregular bleeding in the first 3 months, but the majority of women will go on to have an overall decrease or complete absence of periods. This is considered healthy and is no cause for concern. A drawback of using Depo Provera is a loss in bone density that is noted in women who use this product for more than two years; although this loss is reversible once the medication is stopped. It may also take a user of Depo Provera up to 18 months to return to fertility after the last injection given, so this choice may not be the best for those seeking a very short-term form of birth control.

This method is considered safe for breastfeeding mothers.

We will conclude this discussion in our next 406 article, when we will go into detail about long term birth control options. These include Intrauterine Devices that are effective for 3 or 5 years, as well as some effective for up to a decade! With so many choices available for birth control, we urge you to speak with your health care provider to decide the best option for your health and lifestyle.

Kassandra Patton WHNP joined Kalispell OB/GYN in March of 2013, moving to Montana from Illinois with extensive experience as a women’s health nurse practitioner. Prior to becoming a nurse practitioner, she worked for 10 years as a labor & delivery nurse. Kassandra has a strong interest in teenage wellness exams, reproductive health and contraception management. She and her husband, Jeremy, have two children, three dogs and two cats. They love the outdoors and moved to Montana looking to enjoy a better lifestyle in our beautiful Big Sky Country.

health}

You Got This Super Mom

Keeping Your Family Healthy By Avoiding Health Lies

By Dr. C. Claude Basler, DC, Basler Family Chiropractic

We all know Super Moms are the glue of the family!

With blessings of motherhood often comes the responsibility of keeping everyone in the family “healthy.” This is sometimes easier said than done. We want our children to be healthy from the moment they are born and will do anything for them to maintain their quality of life. The concept of “health” unfortunately has been marketed, branded, and is now linked with the dollar sign. Many people will attempt to “sell” the concept of health to your family. They will attempt to let you think that it is something that can be bought. Healthcare, or at least the concept of it, has become an industry and is steadily growing. Keeping your family healthy starts by avoiding the top healthcare lies.

w

56 406

oman.com

Pharmaceuticals prevent disease.

The United States and New Zealand are the only two countries that allow advertising of pharmaceuticals directly to the consumer. The United States represents approximately 5% of the global population while 80% of all pharmaceuticals are prescribed in the United States (Paul Offit, M.D). This is a problem. The target audience is designed around moms; sell mom, sell the family. Contrary to popular belief, drugs do not prevent disease. Living healthy prevents disease and that does not come in the form of a pill. Being healthy begins from the inside of the body. It does not begin from taking something artificial.

Health Insurance Is Out To Keep You Healthy.

This is just comical in my opinion. In reality it should be called Sick Insurance.

Many insurance companies receive their policies from government agencies. Specifically speaking, Medicare Guidelines Section 2251.3 states: a maintenance therapy that seeks to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong and enhance the quality of life; or therapy performed to maintain or prevent deterioration of a chronic condition is deemed not medically necessary. The word maintenance can be translated to mean prevention. Prevention is frowned upon because it promotes healthy families.

Healthy families do not need pharmaceuticals. Chiropractic care is health insurance; premiums are small and dividends are large.

The word maintenance can be translated to mean prevention.

Prevention is frowned upon because it promotes healthy families.

Healthy families do not need pharmaceuticals. Chiropractic care is health insurance; premiums are small and dividends are large.

Disease Is Bad Luck Or Bad Genes.

If your mother has it then you will have it. What is “it?” : anything that we think bad luck or genes will give you. If you do everything that your mother did and lived the way she did then, yes most likely you will express her traits. OR…You could change your life by doing things different!

Your genes are read by your cells every day. Certain circumstances in life can cause genes to be silenced or expressed over time. They can be turned on or off depending on what you do (not your mother or father). How you take care of your spinal health, what you eat, when you sleep, how you exercise, and what your environment is like can all cause modifications to your genes. It’s called eliminating the bad while keeping the good. It takes work but it is worth it.

This list can go on and on and on. Moms have enough on their plate already! They should not have to tread through sale gimmicks, trends, or the newest and brightest shiny object in the health industry that will make Their family healthy. Start with principled chiropractic. It’s safe, non-addictive, result driven, no pills required, and 100% all natural. That’s no lie.

Conventional Medicines Are Experts In Health.

This statement is false. You have to take health into your own hands and understand that you are in charge of your own healing. Once again, healing literally begins from the inside. What do we mean by the inside? The central nerve system.

It regulates every other system in the body and made everything you can think of. If you get a cut on your arm. A Band-Aid? Neosporin? OR the body’s innate intelligence to seek and protect itself by releasing self-healing properties? The answer is the latter. How does it heal?

Chiropractic is the study of life and what causes man to live. Medicine is the study of disease and what causes man to die – Dr. B.J. Palmer Developer of Chiropractic.

Dr. Claude Basler, DC is a Chiropractor and Dad of three. His office, Basler Family Chiropractic is located in downtown Kalispell. His mission first and foremost at Basler Family Chiropractic is to serve God and the people He created through specific Gonstead Chiropractic care.

Dr. Basler wants the Flathead Community to be the healthiest place to live and is committed to seeing the next generation of children being raised healthier than the past. He raises the value of health in our community and it his passion and commitment in his an office to serve you and the next generation to come.

w

406

oman.com 57

health}

Live Pain Free

By Devin Pfister, PT, DPT Photos by Amanda Wilson Photography

Most individuals will experience at least one episode of low back pain in their lifetime and several will experience chronic or recurring episodes of low back pain. There are conservative options available for recovering from both acute and chronic discomfort in the lumbar spine. Rarely, do I see a patient who I consider to be a surgical candidate. In most cases, conservative and noninvasive care should be attempted prior to surgery, steroidal injections and drugs.

Have you ever felt a sudden onset of pain while performing what seems to be a benign function like bending over to spit out your toothpaste? Most patients wonder why they don’t have a better story to tell when reporting the cause of their low back pain. I’ll put it this way…when you are barreling down a ski hill at lightening speed and you have a nasty fall, your phasic or core muscles are completely engaged and ready for action, allowing you to walk away unscathed; however, it is unlikely that one would pause to engage their core when bending over to tie their shoes and this leaves the spine vulnerable to injury. When we don’t use our core muscles to stabilize our spine during forward bending and rotation, we begin to stress the noncontractile tissues (ligaments, discs), which are not designed to withstand repetitive loading. One complication is that our core muscles are supposed to automatically contract when we are either holding a static posture or when we decide to move our body, but when there is dysfunction in the low back, these muscles are reflexively inhibited. In the meantime, tonic muscles, such as the psoas (hip flexor) and other secondary stabilizers are reflexively activated causing spasm. It’s the brains way of attempting to protect the spine by minimizing how much we are able to move.

The goal of the Physical Therapist is to re-educate the core musculature from a neurological standpoint and ensure that they recruit when necessary.

In addition, it is crucial to alleviate the muscle spasm by effectively treating the source of the pain, which is often the facet joints or the articulations between the vertebral bodies that allow for movement. Quite typically, there are imbalances in the amount of movement available at each joint and if one joint moves more than another, that imbalance is perpetuated over time causing one joint to become hypermobile or unstable and the other to become hypomobile or restricted in it’s ability to glide. When these imbalances occur, people begin to compensate in their pelvis or their hips, leading to other injuries (bursitis, tendonitis etc.).

w

58 406

oman.com

Here are some things you can do to avoid low back pain: Proper sitting ergonomics

1. Full contact between your back/pelvis and the chair 2. Recline 15-20 degrees from vertical 3. Use lumbar support in the natural curve of your spine 4. Feet flat on the floor 5. Knees bent 90 degrees and in line with your hips or slightly lower 6. Ears in line with shoulders and hips 7. Elbows bent 90 degrees at your sides 8. Computer screen 10 degrees below eye level

Here are some exercises that promote healthy spinal function (please terminate any exercise that causes pain and consult with a professional to proceed properly): McKenzie press ups:

(Pictured above) While lying on your stomach, place your palms on the floor by your chest and press up while keeping your lower body on the ground to bring your spine into a back bend. This should be held briefly and repeated 10x. This can be done every hour if necessary. If this is at all painful, please modify by either propping on your elbows like a sphinx as demonstrated in the image or by propping your chest on a pillow. In this exercise, you are reversing the effects of forward bending or sitting.

health} Hip flexor stretch:

Coming into a lunge position, drop the back knee to the ground then begin to shift your hips forward while maintaining an upright spine and engaging your abdominals. This should be held for 30 seconds and repeated consecutively 3x daily. This stretch will relieve pressure in the low back.

Bird dogs: Planks:

At the top of a push up, pull your belly button toward your spine and try to tuck your tailbone under (imagine a dog tucking his tail between his legs).

This should be held for 1 minute and repeated 3x daily, but terminate the exercise if you lose proper form. This exercise will help you strengthen the muscle in your abdomen that serves as an internal back brace.

On all fours, bring your shoulders directly over your wrists and your hips over your knees. On your inhale, reach your right arm in front of you and your left leg behind you.

Maintain a level pelvis and be sure to pull your belly button toward your spine. On your exhale, release the arm and leg to the floor. Alternate sides to fatigue or until you lose proper form. This exercise promotes additional stability to the spine.

If you suffer from low back pain or you are interested in prevention, these exercises and postural recommendations offer a great place to start. Please call Physio Whitefish today to begin your pain free life.

w

406

oman.com 59

health}

ask the skin coach

Makeup Mistakes to Avoid for Healthy Skin

By Erin Blair, Licensed Esthetician + Certified Health Coach

Makeup...most of us have a love/hate relationship with it. Many of my clients tell me they’re certain their makeup is ‘bad’ for their skin . A little investigation usually reveals that there is some user error to be corrected.

But first, is it clogging?

Please note that the amount of a particular clogging ingredient, as well as the other ingredients combined with it in a formula, plays a role in whether the product will cause a breakout. But this short list of ingredients to avoid is a fantastic place to start if you suspect your makeup is clogging your pores.

l Acetylated Lanolin l Butyl Stearate l Coal Tar l Cocoa Butter l Coconut Oil l D & C Red Dyes l Decyl Oleate l Grapeseed Oil l Isopropyl Isostearate l Isopropyl Linoleate l Isopropyl Myristate l Isopropyl Neopentanoate l Isopropyl Palmitate l Isostearic Acid l Lanolic Acid l Lauroyl Lysine l Linseed Oil l Myristyl Myristate l Oleic Acid l Oleyl Alcohol l Soybean Oil l Squalene

It’s gotta come off

First and foremost, whether your makeup choice is liquid, cream, or powder, it has to be a non-clogging formula. This goes for primers and setting sprays, foundation, blushes and bronzers, and even lip color. Here’s a quick reference of ingredients that could be clogging:

w

60 406

oman.com

Once you’ve determined that your makeup is truly acne safe, the next step is to ALWAYS wash it off every night.

Proper nighttime cleansing will prepare your skin for products that help to keep pores clear, fight aging, and aid in repair overnight.

It’s believed that the skin repair cycle begins at dark, so the earlier you cleanse, the better!

What’s another benefit to cleansing your skin as soon as possible at the end of the day? You’ll have less chance of forgetting, falling asleep with your makeup on, or skipping important steps because you’re too tired.

Makeup wipes might seem like the easy quick fix here, but they don’t really clean the skin. If you love wipes, use them but wash your skin with cleanser as your next step. When removing makeup, it’s best to massage cleanser onto dry

skin (I have developed a lotion type cleanser that works great for this), then wet fingertips and continuen massaging for a minute or so, then rinse thoroughly. If you apply cleanser to wet skin, any waterproof SPF or especially heavy makeup will not break down as well. Try the dry skin/wet fingers/rinsing technique, it’ll make a huge difference. Follow with a gentle cloth such as a baby washcloth - no rubbing!!

- for complete cleansing. Finish your cleansing steps with a toner to adjust pH and prepare your skin for the next steps.

It’s worthwhile to note that during the months you spend time outside, you may see more ‘makeup’ on your cotton round after toner application. Is it really makeup? Usually, it’s tan skin cells you’re seeing. Yes, you can even get tan when wearing SPF diligently. I mention it here because in the summer, my clients often mistakenly assume their cleanser isn’t doing a great job of makeup removal and end up over-scrubbing to remove...their tan.

Does it contain ‘bismuth oxychloride’?

If you feel your powder makeup is making your wrinkles look more pronounced, check the formula for bismuth oxychloride. Besides making lines more noticeable, this ingredient

health}

Take care to clean your makeup brushes, weekly if possible, or at least once a month.

also causes itchy, rashy drama in about a quarter of the population.

I don’t sell makeup that contains bismuth for both of those reasons.

Brush maintenance

Take care to clean your makeup brushes, weekly if possible, or at least once a month. A lot of brush cleaners sold today contain irritating pore cloggers, so I recommend using your skin cleanser.

Work both water and cleanser into the tips of brushes, rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry. Be sure to keep water and soap from seeping into the ferrule, the base of the bristle area. Failure to do this will lead to glue breaking down and eventually the bristles will fall out.

I recommend synthetic brushes over animal hair any day. Synthetics are less irritating and come with less chance of causing reactions on the skin.

No cheating ;)

When you’re ready to do it all again the next morning, don’t try to skip a step by mixing your makeup with SPF. You’ll alter the SPF formula, making it less effective. And don’t fall into the trap of believing that your makeup itself is sufficient sun protection. Even in dark climates such as ours, daily sun protection must be used rain or shine. Instead, apply an SPF of at least 30 that works for your skin type, and once it’s dry, apply your makeup.

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.

w

406

oman.com 61

health}

North Valley Hospital Seasonal Clinics

Help Patients at Whitefish Mountain Resort and in West Glacier

By Allison Linville

““If I ever have a dislocated shoulder again, I hope I’m here (in Montana) so I can come to your clinic,” – that was one of the nicest things someone said at our seasonal clinic,” says Pam Albrite. Albrite is the seasonal clinic supervisor for the Base Lodge Clinic at Whitefish Mountain Resort in the winter and the West Glacier Clinic in West Glacier in the summer, and while she doesn’t want anyone to have to come to the clinic while they are on vacation, she is glad that seasonal clinics provide a quick, close response when things do go awry.

Albrite is also a radiology technician, which means she takes x-rays at all seasonal clinics. She has been a North Valley Hospital employee since 2009 working in radiology in Columbia Falls. Albrite said she enjoys being part of the team to make unexpected accidents or illnesses less traumatic when people are away from home. The seasonal clinic team includes board certified physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and radiology technicians. The team functions under the medical direction of Dr. Jeffrey Westensee, a board certified Emergency Department Physician at North Valley Hospital.

mentions. “Visitors and residents are so grateful that we’re there, in the semi-remote location, so that they don’t have to travel into town.”

visitors, residents, and seasonal employees. “We help businesses with workers compensation needs, and we have good community partnerships to provide care to people without requiring them to travel as far,” explains Albrite.

care to skiers and visitors. Also, the clinic works closely with employees, visitors, and area residents to save them a trip into town depending on the condition.

West Glacier Clinic offers treatment for the following:

- Minor illness and injury - Skin rashes, skin infections, or insect bites - Cold or flu symptoms - Ear, sinus or upper respiratory infections - Urinary tract infections - Sprains, strains, and fractures - Lacerations From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the West Glacier At the Base Lodge Clinic in the winter, providers partner with Big Mountain Ski Patrol to offer continued - Minor burns Clinic operates near Glacier National Park to serve West Glacier Clinic supports people staying in various areas near the park, or recreating in or around Glacier National Park. “It can take up an entire day of your vacation to go into town to see a doctor, so we can save people time and make it a little more convenient to deal with healthcare, based on the seriousness of their condition.”

Albrite explains, “We stabilize and arrange for transfers for more serious injuries or issues like The clinic opened in 2010 and sees an average of 350- cardiac emergencies, so that patients can travel to the 400 patients during the summer. “Half the patients we emergency room via ambulance or helicopter. This see have injuries, and about half experience concerns can promote better outcomes and improve the overall like dehydration, skin conditions, colds, etc.,” Albrite quality of their experience.”

w

62 406

oman.com

“Our seasonal clinics on Big Mountain and in West Glacier are fully equipped urgent care clinics. We accept all major insurance like the hospital, there’s no appointment necessary, and we can also bill Canadian insurance. Sometimes people don’t know what we’re equipped to do, but we are here to offer high quality care closer to home during the busiest seasons.”

health}

We Like To Say Yes

by Dr. John F. Miller DDS

Ask anyone who has known me for awhile and they will tell you my thinking is outside the box. My wife Juli will confirm that it’s a little too far outside the box.

That is why she is perfect for me, she is my check and my balance. Her eye-rolling or lack thereof guide my daily decision making. It should come as no surprise then, that one of my favorite aspects of owning and running Smile Montana is the creative outlet that is Marketing.

When I took over my Columbia Falls practice in 2011 I was terrified. I had a large student loan bill around my neck and an even larger business loan to purchase the practice. Not to mention I opted to be part of the less than 1% of Dental School grads who purchase a practice immediately upon graduation. All of this in addition to a growing family which I was responsible for.

w

64 406

oman.com

I had no idea how to run a business and manage employees. I told myself to “Fake it until I Make it,” and somehow feel like I’m still doing that to this day. Dentistry, although it’s a Health Profession, functions just like any other business.

We offer a service and we need a steady stream of customers to keep the doors open. How could I possibly attract anyone to come and see me, no one even knew who I was.

So I approached marketing my business and my brand with the intent of attracting none other than Me, Myself, and I. What would I look for in a company or product? What would trigger ME to consume? And to be honest, it didn’t feel right in the beginning. While I have always had 100% confidence in my ability as a Dentist, my product as a whole was lacking. I didn’t have the total package and so I went to work on every aspect of the patient experience outside of the dental chair.

Before I could market Smile Montana, I needed to create what I call a Patient Centric practice.

In the walls of my practice I wanted a culture where the needs of the patient were greater than

the needs of the staff and of the Doctor. This was harder than I was prepared for. I had a people problem, meaning some of my people did not want to put the patient’s needs above their own.

These individuals have parted ways with Smile Montana.

After seven years I can sit here and write up an article for 406 Women and honestly say that I have the greatest team. With them around I no longer need to fake it because with them I have made it. We are united in our mission to provide a great patient experience. Our motto is that “We Like To Say Yes.” Now, over these last seven years I’ve had the chance to sit back and evaluate folks’ relationship and approach to Dental Care. Some people visit the dentist religiously and never miss a cleaning, while others only come around when something hurts. Surveys indicate that 65% of adults visit the dentist at least once per year. That means 35% of us are not seeing our dentist or hygienist on a regular basis. In other words 35% of adults only see the dentist on an urgent basis.

After seven years I can sit here

and write up an article for 406 Women and honestly say that I have the greatest team. With them around I no longer need to fake it because with them I have made it. We are united in our mission to provide a great patient experience. Our motto is that “We Like To Say Yes.”

health}

Now combine these statistics with Smile Montana’s mission to ALWAYS SAY YES and you can see where we might run into a wonderful problem, too many patients in need and not enough Dr. Millers and Dr. Calderwoods. We found ourselves staying late, coming in early, skipping lunch because we couldn’t bring ourselves to reschedule someone with a toothache or unsightly broken tooth.

This led to the opening of the Smile Montana Urgent Dental Center in Kalispell. Prior to opening this location people were largely utilizing hospital emergency rooms to address dental emergencies. Now the 35% can relax and enjoy their summer, knowing they now have a place to go when “it hurts.”

Happy summer everyone. It already feels like it is going by too fast. We, at Smile Montana, are very busy in the summer. We do a lot of very cool and exciting community events. One is our $1,000 high school senior scholarships offered at each of the five high schools around the valley. We are preparing for our 7th annual patient appreciation movie event with a free screening of The Incredibles 2. This event is available for all of our patients who have had a cleaning with us in the past year, in other words, the 65%.

Also coming up is our 2nd Annual Smile Montana Treasure Hunt. Last year’s hunt was amazing, crazy, scary, and thrilling as participants were narrowed down over three weeks with the winner canoeing out to a deserted island in Echo Lake to dig up real treasure marked with an X. This event was created with family participation in mind and to awaken a sense of wonder and adventure in our youth. If you want to be tuned into these events as well as all the other awesome things we do throughout the year we invite you to follow us on social media on Instagram & Facebook. Simply search Smile Montana.

w

406

oman.com 65

131 Central Ave. • Whitefish, MT 59937 406-862-9199 | McGoughandCompany.com

Come Discover Southside Consignment II The Place to Bring your friends and family!

Best place to shop for antiques!

2699 hwy 93 south, kalispell 406.756.8526 - Create your own individuality

SouthsideConsignment & antiques

Celebrating 27 Fabulous years!

Over 6,000 Square Feet of recycled Decor & Fine Collectibles

treasures mixing old with new!

Let us consign your treasures - Let the gals help you with decorating ideas

406 contents design 18. Tablescaping The Outdoors 24. American Made

food & flavor 28. Nachos 30. Fennel Fennel, Folate and Fitness

fashion 34. Summer Fun The Village Shop

18...

Love

36. Claudine & scott 40. Shandra & evan

education 44. SAT/ACT Positive Whitefish Study Center

history 46. Pert Kelton

w

74 406

oman.com

...28

406

Checking In

w o m a n

Cover Girl

publisher

Cindy Gerrity

cindy@montanasky.net

business manager Daley McDaniel

daley@montanasky.net

executive editor

Kristen Hamilton

kristen@hamitupstrategies.com

design

Sara Joy Pinnell

sara@mrsandmrpublishing.com

Alisha Basler

photographers

Alisha is a mom of three ages four and younger and is grateful to be able to stay home with them in this season of life. Her cowboy hat is in true fashion as her day starts with feeding a horse, mini donkey, goats and chickens on

their small family farm! She has a masters degree in Speech-

Language Pathology from Central Michigan University.

She married her high school sweetheart, Claude in 2014 and moved to the Flathead Valley for Gods amazing wonders of the big sky. Together they own Basler Family Chiropractic where they are passionate about helping others find health, healing and happiness!

P h o t o b y A m an d a W i l s o n P h o t o g r aph y ( www . a ma n d awi l s o nph o t o s . c o m )

Business Girl

Daley McDaniel Photography Amanda Wilson Photography Alisia Dawn Photography Kelly Kirksey Photography Carrie Ann Photography Shannon Brinkmanship Photography Danella Miller Photography J. Vigil Photography Noah Clayton Photography Green Kat Photography Mic, LLC

Published by Skirts Publishing six times a year 704 C East 13th St. #138 Whitefish, MT 59937 info@406woman.com Copyright©2018 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

Nancy Cawdrey

Nancy Cawdrey regularly participates in major museum shows including the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody Wyoming, the C.M. Russell in Great Falls Montana, and the Jackson Hole Art festival. She will be painting on site at the Whitefish Community Foundation fundraiser at Iron Horse Country Club in Whitefish on June 24th. Read her full story in our Business & Health section feature.

P h o t o b y J. V i g i l P h o t o g r aph y ( www . jv i g i lp h o t o g r aph y . c o m )

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.

Happy 10th Editor’s Note

Anniversary to

406 Woman magazine!

In May of 2008, Cindy Gerrity (Publisher) and Daley McDaniel (Business Manager) took a chance and followed a dream to create a beautiful lifestyle magazine dedicated to women in Northwest Montana.

Ten years later, 406 Woman is going strong thanks to their dedication and commitment to telling the story.

406 Woman has had 99 covers and has featured over 300 amazing women in Northwest Montana.

A very special thanks to…

Sara Pinnell, our amazing designer Our talented writers Our amazing photographers Our wonderful advertisers

Thank you Cindy & Daley!

Here’s to 10 more years!

{

In this issue you’ll find….

Jaymee Sire heads north to Lake Louise and shares her the highlights of her adventure in this beautiful part of Canada. See page 20 for full story.

Kalispell OB/GYN nurse practitioner Kassandra Patton provides some great information on birth control options in Part One of Choosing the Right Birth Control to Fit Your Needs story on page 54.

Buffalo Hill Golf Club has developed some terrific junior golf options to help our youth become golfers for life. Read about these programs and other developments in Mary Wallace’s story on page 18.

{

Meet Kelly Kirksey…

Our Talented 406 Contributors Dr. Esther Barnes, DPM, FACAS

Board certified foot and ankle specialist practicing at Step Ahead Foot & Ankle Clinic in Kalispell

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

Owner of Delia's Pilates™, PMA®-CPT, International Educator, bootybarre® master trainer, health coach, mom, Montana obsessed.

Brian D’Ambrosio

Accomplished writer and newly published author of “Reservation Champ’

Kalispell OB/GYN Doctors & Practitioners

Board certified OB/GYN professional offering expert advice

Allison Linville

Community Relations Coordinator at North Valley Hospital

John Miller, DDS

Specializing in general dentistry, Dr Miller provides expert advice

Carole Morris

Instructional Specialist, Author and Adjunct Professor. The proud mom of two perfect children and grammie to three flawless grandchildren.

Kelly O’Brien, Esq.

Brianne Perleberg

Profession: Professional Photographer and aspiring

Devin Pfister, PT, DPT.

Resides: Kalispell

Kristen Pulsifer

thought I was hilarious.

Business law specialist with Measure Law Office, P.C. Founder of I Want Her Job and marketing director at NASCAR track Phoenix Raceway.

Certified Yoga Instructor, offering one on one direct care with an emphasis on manual therapy for people in pain.

Writer, editor and owner of Whitefish Study Center

Karen Sanderson

Wine expert and owner of Brix Bottleshop in Kalispell

Dr Austine Siomos

A pediatric cardiologist at Rocky Mountain Heart & Lung plus a wife and mother

Jaymee Sire

Jaymee grew up in North Central Montana and is an Emmy Award winning sports broadcaster. She writes a food and travel blog called “e is for eat.” (eisforeat.com)

Mary Wallace

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

w

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

82 406

oman.com

supermom...emphasis on aspiring

Notable Accomplishments: I was once on Jay Leno and he

My workweek always includes: Netflix while I edit pictures, usually quite a few meetings with amazing clients and lots of photoshoots.

My favorite outdoor activity is: Pedicures. That's an outdoor activity right? But if I had to choose, definitely anything on the water! It doesn't get better than Flathead or Lake McDonald Lake!

When it comes to electronics, I can’t live without these apps on my iPhone: Disneyland Countdown, we always have one

going. We're obsessed. Weather app--I constantly have to check the sunset time for pictures. Planoly keeps my social media schedule sane. And definitely You Tube. I am obsessed with makeup tutorials and videos about Disneyland tips and advice.

My bucket list includes doing this in the next year: Every year my goal is to travel more. I can't get enough of new adventures!

design}

The outdoors beckons us…

Tablescaping

w

84 406

oman.com

By June Jeffries for Empress Tents and Events Photographed by Kelly Kirksey Photography

There is something nostalgic about a picnic. The first use of the word is traced back to 1692, when the word appeared in a 17th century dictionary as “pique-nique”, the actual usage began as “pique un niche” meaning to ‘pick a place”; an isolated spot (a nest) where family or friends could enjoy a meal together away from distractions and demands. Early in the 19th century, the British picked up the French tradition; a fashionable group of Londoners formed the ‘Picnic Society’, each member was expected to provide a share of the entertainment and the refreshments. From the 1830s, Romantic American landscape paintings of spectacular scenery often included a group of picnickers in the foreground. Thomas Cole’s The Pic-Nic of 1846, a guitarist serenades the genteel social group in the Hudson River Valley: Cole’s well dressed young picnickers were served from splint baskets on blue and white china, afterwards they would stroll about in the woodland and boat on the lake; it was the spirit of a peaceful social activity.

w

406

oman.com 85

design} It seems fitting we set up our picnic in Woodland Park, in the heart of Kalispell; it is the city’s oldest and largest park: 38 acres. It is the perfect place for families to come and play. Dining al fresco with family and friends is one of summer’s greatest pleasures.

One of the best spots is under the shade of a big old tree and we found the perfect spot. We placed the blanket on the ground as the platform for our stage. We didn’t leave anything to chance, we thought of everything we would need to spend the entire day away from the hustle and bustle of every day life. The antique radio was a prop; it was the guitar that would serenade us.

We brought freshly baked scones with an assortment of jam, quiche, cheeses, fresh berries and preserves, lemonade and wine, a retro cooler chest full of surprises because we wanted a picnic that would last a day.

Picnics remind us of our childhood, to times less hurried; it is nostalgic. It was idyllic with a pillow to rest our head, music for our ears and food for our soul and for those more energetic we brought a bike. We chose the pillow.

All furnishings, tableware and decor is available at http://www.empresstentsevents.com or https://www.vintagewhitesweddings.com - for all your event needs contact Lynn at Empress Tents and always a huge bundle of gratitude to Kelly (kellykirkseyphotography.com).

w

86 406

oman.com

design}

Picnics remind us of our childhood, to times less hurried; it is nostalgic.

American Made

Proudly representing American Made products at Wright's Furniture

By Wright’s Furniture

w

90 406

oman.com

design} Nothing embraces the American spirit quite like the craftsmanship and ingenuity of American Made furniture.

Furniture made in America is as much an art form as it is a manufacturing process. The differences between a well-crafted piece of furniture and a mass produced one speak for themselves. At Wright’s Furniture in Whitefish, we see the benefits in buying American Made and proudly offer furniture and accessories crafted in the U.S.A. Buying products made in America creates jobs, reduces the world’s carbon footprint, supports safe and fair working conditions, helps grow the U.S. economy, and ensures safe quality products.

Dining Room

Fusion Designs, a favorite manufacturer for handcrafted dining room products, was founded upon Christian morals and a hard work ethic of growing up on the farm, which continue to be the guiding principles behind their furniture, delivering strong value and honesty in both their designs and relations.

- They represent a solid belief in quality and satisfaction in a job well done.

- Countless colors, hardware, and wood species allow each piece of furniture to be uniquely your own.

- Dedication to honoring the past and design for the future.

Leather & Upholstery

At Hancock & Moore, a favorite manufacturer for customizable leather and upholstery products, they understand that style emanates from within. That is why each Hancock & Moore original is custom-made to your exacting requirements.

- Endless choices of leather, fabric, trim and wood finishes.

- Hand-built quality and pride in craftsmanship ensures that your statement of self-expression will last for generations to come.

- Up to 80 hours are spent handcrafting a piece of Hancock & Moore furniture.

- Every sofa, game chair and bench bears the signature of the artisan who created it, reflecting the hard day’s work that went into its construction.

Bedroom & Casegoods

Green Gables is a family owned business that specializes in handcrafted rustic furniture pieces for every room. They are known across the country for their superior rustic designs.

Their style stands out from the rest because it shows quality, craftsmanship and American history.

- Handcrafted from reclaimed and sustainable woods in Bradford, Illinois.

- Uses old, dilapidated Midwestern barns which are re-purposed and given new life.

- Fully customizable.

w

-Product featured is available at Wright’s FurnitureVisit our showroom at Wright's Furniture in Whitefish where we have hundreds of American Made products available for every room.

6325 Hwy 93 South, Whitefish, Montana 59937 | 406.862.2455 | OPEN DAILY | www.wrightsfurniturestore.com

406

oman.com 91

food}

Nachos… the Italian Way

By Carole Morris

We all love nachos, the original Texas Mexican dish that was created by Ignacio Anaya, (whose nickname was Nacho). In fact, I can close my eyes and see (in my mind’s eye) fried corn tortillas covered with melted cheese and sliced jalapeño peppers.

Today is a new day, however, and we are switching up the way you view a nacho! Envision fried lasagna noodles smothered in alfredo sauce, mozzarella, pepperoncino peppers, black olives, and Italian sausage. Oh baby, this is going to be magnifico!

Homemade Lasagna Noodles Ingredients

4½ cups semolina flour 1 ½ teaspoons salt 6 large eggs 6 tablespoons water (room temperature)

Combine all ingredients in blender (or food processor) until they are thoroughly mixed.

Remove dough and knead until you can form a ball. Let rest for approximately 30 minutes.

Place dough on lightly floured surface and roll out (with a rolling pin) until you have desired thickness. Cut into equal 1½ inch wide strips.

Knead together unused dough and edges and roll out them out to make additional strips.

w

Place fresh noodles on wax paper until ready to use.

94 406

oman.com

Italian Nachos Ingredients

Lasagna Noodles (homemade) or 2 lb. package 2 tablespoons olive oil (for boiling noodles) Vegetable oil or olive oil (for frying) Salt (to taste) Parmesan cheese (for garnish) 1 ½ lb. ground Italian sausage

(browned and drained)

1/4 cup pepperoncino peppers 4 medium tomatoes diced 1/2 cup sliced black olives grated Mozzarella cheese (garnish)

Alfredo Cheese Sauce Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter 1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced 3 ½ tablespoons flour 3 cups half and half 3 cups grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste

Lasagna Chips

Alfredo Sauce

1. Boil approximately 6 quarts

Melt butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the garlic and (with a whisk) mix in flour. Stirring constantly, simmer for approximately four minutes. Next, turn heat to medium and slowly whisk in the half and half.

Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Then, remove from heat and add only 2 cups of the Parmesan cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Stir until sauce is smooth (If sauce gets too thick, add more half and half.)

Instructions

of water, with 2 tbsp. olive oil, in a large pot over high heat.

Add lasagna noodles to the boiling water; stir the noodles often and allow to boil. Cook until al dente, which means not be hard, too soft or mushy (8-10 minutes). Drain well, then blot excess moisture with paper towels.

2. Cut each lasagna crosswise cut on the diagonal, to make triangles (about six 2-inch pieces).

3. In a skillet, heat about 1-inch oil to 370 degrees.

4. Fry lasagna noodles until

golden brown on both sides, approximately 5 minutes.

Drain on paper towels.

5. Sprinkle fried lasagna lightly with salt and parmesan cheese.

Instructions

Pile the lasagna chips onto a large serving platter. Drizzle with warm alfredo sauce.

Add sausage, tomatoes, olives and peppers; then top with Parmesan and Mozzarella.

I must say…this adds a whole new level to the word “nacho”.

food}

w

406

oman.com 95

food}

Fennel, Folate and Fitness

I have a soft spot for funny looking plants.

Romanesco, dragonfruit, jackfruit and artichokes all catch my eye in the grocery store. Lately I have been reading about fennel, a goofy bulb with feathers that has an impressive nutrition profile and a rich history.

While reading about this interesting plant, I learned that the Greek name for fennel is marathon (μάραθον)! The place of the famous historical Battle of Marathon actually means “a plain with fennel.” I was thrilled to learn about this link between fennel and marathon, as a few friends of mine are running the Two Bear marathon this year.

How do fennel, folate and fitness go together?

Fennel packs a lot of nutritional benefits in one delicious plant. In one bulb there are only 73 calories, with 7 grams of filling fiber and 3 grams of protein. It also contains important vitamins, including vitamin C (about 50% of your daily requirement!) and folate (15% of your daily requirement!) Fennel also makes a cardiologist happy, as it contains a significant amount of all three of the most important elements for cardiac function: calcium, magnesium and potassium.

So with all this protein and heart serving elements, your body will feel like moving. How about running? Running is a low maintenance way to get outside and get moving. Running with a friend can be motivating, and training

w

96 406

oman.com

By Dr Austine Siomos

with someone or multiple people for a race is a great way to see progress and work toward a goal!

The history of the marathon run is often mistold. The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens and the Persians. Despite the Persion army being large, the Greek army decisively defeated them. This was a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. A Greek runner named Pheidippides was sent to run from Athens to Sparta to ask for assistance before the battle. He ran a distance of over 225 kilometers (140 miles), arriving in Sparta the day after he left. After the battle, the Athenian army marched 40 kilometers (25 miles) back to Athens.

The run by Pheidippides and the march by the Greek army became confused later. The first modern Olympics took place in Athens in 1896.

The initiators and organizers were looking for a unifying and popular event that would recall the ancient glory of Greece. For the first few years, including at those Olympic Games, the marathon distance was variable and was around 25 miles, which is the approximate distance from Marathon to Athens. In 1908 the Olympic Games were in London and the course was extended to accommodate the British royal family. Queen Alexandra wanted the children living in Windsor Castle to be able to watch the start of the race from the window of their nursery. In order to have the start on the lawn of Windsor Castle and the

finish at the Olympic stadium, the race had to be 26.2 miles long. This increase in mileage stuck and was standardized in 1921 as the official length of a marathon.

Fortunately, unlike the definition of a marathon, the health benefits of fennel are not subject to royal whims.

Health benefits of fennel

Fennel is a beautiful plant that is part of the carrot family. The bulb has the appearance of a wrapped present and the leaves are delicate feathers. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean, where it is perennial. It is highlighted in countless Mediterranean recipes. In Montana it can be grown as an annual plant.

Provide folate for fertility, pregnancy health and heart health: Most people know that

folate is essential for any woman who has a chance of becoming pregnant due to the link of folate and lower risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Folate also supports fertility in couples who want to conceive, and is important for both male and female fertility.

Fennel is a very good source of folate. In addition to its use in fertility and pregnancy, folate, also known as vitamin B9 is necessary for the conversion of a dangerous molecule called homocysteine into other, benign molecules. At high levels, homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel walls, is considered a significant risk factor for heart attack or stroke.

food}

Grilled

Fennel Paella It’s summer, and the grill is the place to cook! The fennel has a wonderful grilled flavor, and the rest can be done on the hot plate next to your grill. This can also be made inside on the stove.

Fennel is a beautiful plant that is part of the carrot family. The bulb has the appearance of a wrapped present and the leaves are delicate feathers.

Reduce heart disease: Fennel packs a

potassium punch, with 30% of the daily requirement of potassium in one bulb of fennel. Potassium is a vasodilator, which means that it relaxes the tension of blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure.

High blood pressure is connected to a wide range of health issues, including heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis. Also, for diabetics, blood pressure issues can make management of their insulin and glucose levels very difficult and can be the cause of many potentially lethal complications.

Fennel is also a great source of fiber, and helps maintain low levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Fennel can stimulate the elimination of damaging LDL or bad cholesterol, which is a major factor in heart disease, atherosclerosis and strokes.

Treat and prevent cancer: Fennel has been

found to aid in cancer protection. A study in 2011 demonstrated inhibition of breast and liver cancer cell growth by Fennel oil. This is likely due to its concentration of flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenols.

Boost immunity and strengthen skin: 1 cup of

fennel bulb contains almost 20% of the daily requirement of vitamin C. Vitamin C improves general immune system health, produces and repairs skin tissue and helps form collagen.

Fennel is also a natural aldose reductase inhibitor. The secondary complications of diabetes such as vision problems, neuropathy pain and kidney disease are due to increased aldose reductase activity. Studies have found fennel to be useful in decreasing and delaying the secondary effects of diabetes.

Instructions 1. Thinly slice the onion and peppers,

finely chop garlic

2. In a large shallow pan, caramelize the onions on medium heat in water 3. Add the sliced peppers, garlic and 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan 4. Add the rice and sauté the rice in oil

for 2 minutes, then add 5 cups water or broth, cover, and allow rice to cook. If using white rice, this usually takes about 20 minutes. Brown rice takes 40 minutes.

More liquid may be required as the rice cooks.

5. When the rice is about halfway cooked,

Treat and prevent diabetes: The American

Diabetes Association advises diabetics to follow a diet that includes plenty of foods with a low glycemic index. These are foods that can help keep blood sugar levels stable as they do not cause rapid changes in blood glucose.

Fennel has a low glycemic index below 55 and is excellent for blood sugar control.

Ingredients: - 1 onion - 2 bell peppers of any color - 2 fennel bulbs, tops chopped off, cored and thinly sliced - 3 garlic cloves - 2 cups medium grain brown rice or paella rice - 5 cups water or broth - 2 cups sliced mushrooms - 1 tsp saffron (or turmeric if saffron is not available) - 1 tbsp smoked paprika - salt and pepper to taste - 2 limes

add the saffron and paprika and stir well

6. Add salt and pepper to taste 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.

7. Separately, grill the sliced fennel and mushrooms 8. When the rice is fully cooked, turn the heat up to high for 2 minutes for a nice brown crust on the bottom

9. Top the paella with the grilled mushrooms and fennel

w

10. Garnish with sliced limes and sprigs of fennel, serve hot and enjoy!

406

oman.com 97

villageshopwhitefish.com

201 Central ave. whitefish Montana 59937 - 406.862.3200 @thevillageshop_mt

fashion}

Summer Fun at the village shop

Downtown Whitefish.

406-862-3200 @thevillageshop_mt

1.

3.

7.

2.

4.

6.

w

100 406

oman.com

Photo by Carrie Ann Photography

5.

1. AG striped romper $228 2. Skull Cashmere short sleeve tee $288 3. Hobo wallet $118 4. Principle denim high waisted shorts $118 5. Johnny Was embroidered weekend bag $348 6. Frye Lena tennis shoes $198 7. Eileen Fisher scarf $138

love}

Claudine & Scott September 9, 2017

Photography by Gary Yee Location Buena Vista Orchard

Who are you?

Scott grew up in Montana, graduated from University of Montana, worked for the forest service in Alaska and Montana, and then moved into sales/finance. Now he is a small business owner in Kalispell. Claudine is from South Dakota and Montana, graduated from Arizona State University and has worked in finance/banking for the majority of her working life and now works as a financial adviser for Edward Jones.

How did you meet?

We met at a financial education/literacy class – Scott was volunteering with a group of professionals from a local credit union and I was teaching the class – We both had a lot of work experience in banking/finance – so this was a GREAT start and he also had good FICO score to boot!

The Proposal?

Scott proposed in Glacier National Park. The initial proposal was going to be at the top of Logan Pass after our yearly arduous spring bike ride, but after it started to rain (which turned out to be a major flooding event in the park) he decided to propose next to an old cottonwood tree near Snyder Creek close to McDonald Lake Lodge – I had NO idea!

What is love?

Claudine: Love is letting go and allowing your beloved to grow as an individual - AND supporting one another along the way…

Scott: I don’t believe love can be defined, as it can be all encompassing, or complete gratitude for the smallest things in life.

What do you love most about each other?

Claudine: I love how Scott is his own man, beats to his own drum, loves everything outdoors and his passion for adventure.

w

Scott: Claudine is truly a compassionate person, knows what she wants in life, and loves me for who I am. I feel like the luckiest guy on earth to have her in my life.

102 406

oman.com

When did you know you were in love?

Claudine: We took off in late spring to backpack into a lookout near the Canadian border – the trail was buried in snow and the only guide was Scott’s GPS – it was the most adventurous date I had ever been on – that sealed the deal for me.

Scott: Claudine was always up for new adventures when we first started dating and still is today. During one particular kayaking trip to a place neither of us had ever been, she landed a beautiful bull trout that was the biggest fish of the day. I knew right then and there she was the one for me, and told her so during our shoreline picnic.

Wedding Details We hosted 125 guests at Johnson’s cherry orchard overlooking Flathead Lake. Cold Stone served up delicious ice cream and Porteus BBQ was our catering company out of Columbia Falls.

Fun facts

The wedding was held in the middle of a wicked fire season and we could see the Blue Bay Fire from the venue.

We both have the same last name (no name change needed)

Honeymoon

We honeymooned in Thailand for two weeks and then spent our last three days in Hong Kong – it was an absolute blast!

love} stories

Claudine is truly a compassionate person, knows what she wants in life, and loves me for who I am. I feel like the luckiest guy on earth to have her in my life.

love}

Evan & Shandra May 6, 2017

Photography by Hector Jose Rodriguez Cortes along with Pete Young, Ben Corum, and Evan Coverdell Location Baja, The Inn at Rincon

Who are you?

Evan & Shandra - We work hard to play and we play even harder! Together we share a love for adventure, traveling, the outdoors and of course Montana especially Glacier National Park. We are constantly looking to explore new territory and to experience new things whenever possible. Living in Whitefish allows us to do many of those things; new horizons and mountains are easily found here just outside your door.

How did you meet?

We met while working in downtown Whitefish at The Craggy Range and planned our first hike together summiting Mt Cannon in Glacier National Park. We have continued hiking nearly every day off together logging hundreds of miles and 10+ peaks together.

So far…

The Proposal?

In September of 2015, I planned a trip to Banff and Jasper in Canada for “my birthday.” We hiked beneath the blue ice of Columbian Ice-fields and with a little blue ice of my own, I proposed and received the best birthday present ever!

What is Love?

Evan: Love is waking up and seeing her next to me. It is walking down the sidewalk holding hands.

It is grueling thousands of feet up and through the thickest, thorny, buggy, bushwhack and sharing the summit of a well earned peak. It is sitting in the sand watching the sea. It is growing our garden. It is the way she looks at me and the way I look at her. And, it is the great days and the blah days, it is the everyday struggle together and together it is.

Shandra: To me love is the good, bad and everything in between. It is the amazing days like traveling together, pushing each other to explore, being vulnerable with each other and conquering things together. It’s the days when nothing could go wrong because you have that one person by your

w

106 406

oman.com

side. It’s about the bad days when you have to figure out how to compromise, forgive and learn to understand each other. It’s about putting someone else’s needs before your own.

But most importantly it’s the days in between … waking up next to your best friend every morning, the morning kisses, the relief you feel when you see them after a long night at work, falling asleep entangled together on the couch, the feeling you get when you’re snuggled up in his arms, missing them even when they are coming right back … all those little moments that matter the most and make you realize why you found each other. It’s completely accepting each other for who they are.

What do you Love most about each other?

Evan: Shandra is my best friend and my best critic. She is my climbing and travel partner.

From the garden growing our patch of dahlias to catching huge fish we do everything together.

She is just fun to be around not to mention she is GORGEOUS! Shandra: I love so many things about Evan I don’t think I could list them all. But, if I had to list only a few reasons … I love his charismatic personality, I love his sensitivity, I love that he is an outdoorsman, I love that he is always teaching me something new, and I love his eyes and the way they look back at me. I pretty much love everything about him.

When did you know you were in Love?

Evan: The moment that stands out in my mind would be at the base of the Little Matterhorn in Glacier after hiking 10+ miles in and a challenging 4+ class free climb ahead of us. I said “I know you can climb UP the route but are you sure we can down-climb it?” Shandra looked at me and said “well… I didn’t come all this way to NOT climb this mountain!” That was it for me!

Shandra: For me it was a little later, on our first international trip alone together. We went to La Paz, Mexico and it was completely new to us. We were walking up and down the Malecon, exploring all the city streets and getting lost together.

Fun Wedding Facts:

We along with 32 members of our family and closest friends shared a weeklong wedding adventure on the East Cape of the Baja peninsula … it was a paradise.

Evan did all the drone videography.

A stingray stung a wedding guest.

It was a good wedding.

We honeymooned by spending more time enjoying the Baja-life while we unwinded after the wedding week and before another busy Whitefish summer.

love} stories

Love is the good, bad and everything in between. It is the amazing days like traveling together, pushing each other to explore, being vulnerable with each other and conquering things together.

w

406

oman.com 107

education}

SAT/ACT Positive

By Kristen Pulsifer, Whitefish Study Center

“The major barrier in learning a new skill or achieving a measure of mastery is not intellectual… It is emotional!”

SATs and ACTs are dreaded tests. Most students glaze over and become weary at the simple mention of these epic exams. Parents and students put a great deal of pressure on these tests because they are one of the many factors that most colleges take into serious consideration when accepting students to their schools. But, the one thing that families need to remember is that it is not the only factor that colleges and universities prioritize. SAT and ACT test scores are important but making sure our kids are relaxed and confident when going into take these tests is more important I have been tutoring students in SAT and ACT prep for almost 20 years. I have stepped away from SAT and ACT prep work several times, because I genuinely have a hard time stomaching what the stress of these tests does to high school students. I have had students go as far as changing their entire list of colleges, that they have dreamed of applying to for years, because they performed poorly on a

w

110 406

oman.com

PRACTICE SAT or ACT. I have watched students leave my office in tears after reviewing low scores or doing poorly on a short practice section. While I do want to assist kids in improving their scores, more importantly I want to assist kids in improving their self-esteem and sense of worth!

The students I work with are wonderful individuals with fantastic experiences. They are involved in enough activities and sports to satisfy a lifetime, but they are often emotionally shattered when their scores aren’t what they dreamed they SHOULD be or are not what their parents hoped for. They forgot all of the other things they have going for them, and let these tests define them and rattle their self-confidence to the point of no return! There are things that can be done to improve scores, but it takes effort and confidence.

SELF GUIDED PREPRATION

There are many ways to prepare for the SAT and ACT tests. There are a myriad of fantastic prep books that can be purchased anywhere from Amazon.com to Target. There are also many strategy workbooks for purchase online that are quite beneficial. If students have initiative, they can purchase these books and guide themselves through the practice and preparation needed to assist them in better understanding the tests and therefore improving their scores. Students need to be prepared to put in at least, 15 to 20 hours of prep work. This takes a great deal of organization to fit this prep work into their already busy daily schedules.

SAT AND ACT PREP COURSES/TUTORING

Most cities have SAT and ACT prep courses available at various sites. Students can also find prep courses online. The options for guided course/ prep work are truly endless. Yet, again, students must be prepared to put in the same 15-20 hours of prep work outside of the actual class time, in order to make a difference in their scores and feel prepared. Guided test prep is quite effective if students are willing to take it seriously. 1-2 hours of course time, per week, will not automatically raise scores.

Practice outside of the class is a must for success.

HABIT CHANGING

Students must look at their study habits, and personal habits, and be willing to make a change long before the test date. Preparing for a test is like preparing for a big game or tournament. Just like one soccer practice won’t ensure success at the next game, a student cannot simply take one practice test, show up for the actual test, and expect to do well. Sure, there are those students that achieve this, but they are few and far between. SATs and ACTs are like the ‘big game’. In athletics when preparing for a tournament or game, people practice for weeks…sometimes months, often everyday.

They eat well, sleep well, and work to take care of themselves. This same strategy must apply when preparing for these epic tests. These exams take stamina and focus. The SAT is 3 hours, and the ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes; and, these times do not include the essay, which is an optional element for both of these tests.

Kids have a great deal of pressure that they put on themselves, especially for those who are determined to achieve success. If students consistently say, ‘I can do it, I am worth it, I can achieve’, they will be more likely to do so. education} The math teacher that I work with on test preparation asked an old student of his, who achieved a perfect score on the SAT, what she did to prepare. She said she did not spend as much time studying the test material as she did taking care of herself. She started implementing strong study skills in her daily routine as a way to enhance her focus. For example, she shut her phone down for 3 hours, every evening, while she completed her homework. This ‘shut down’ time allowed her to practice, maintaining focus, for extended periods of time.

She also focused on eating well and sleeping well as part of her test preparation routine. She now attends MIT University, and applies these same habits to her college study habits. She said instilling those skills for herself, before the SAT, was beneficial not only for the SAT but for college.

POSITIVE MINDSET

While this may sound silly, positive mindset is the hardest thing for many teenagers to implement. Kids have a great deal of pressure that they put on themselves, especially for those who are determined to achieve success.

If students consistently say, ‘I can do it, I am worth it, I can achieve’, they will be more likely to do so. They need to focus and maintain the idea that they can do well and nothing else is an option. This mindset helps to clear doubt, and therefore increase clarity; it is the hardest element of preparation. I watched this practice prove positive right before my eyes, in one of my tutoring sessions. After struggling with a great deal of self doubt, for several weeks, one of my students came in determined to NOT let this ‘test stuff’ take her down. The student sat down at my table, said, ‘I can do this’. She followed my guidance and took 1-2 minutes, before each test section, to breath and focus on what she knew. She proceeded to ace the practice test I administered during our session.

It is the decision to succeed that has to be made, before any of the previously discussed strategies can be started. Without a positive mindset and emotional determination, no amount of practice will prove beneficial, and the recommended 15-20 hours of practice will all be for naught. Study away, practice one thousand practice tests if you must; but do not do so until you have adopted the positive emotional mindset to achieve. This is something we all have control over, no matter our grades or intelligence. It is difficult to obtain, but it will be the most rewarding life lesson any student can instill in their work ethic and lives.

w

406

oman.com 111

history}

Vaudeville Star

Pert Kelton

By Brian D’Ambrosio

“A 17 year old Montana girl now has her name in the big electric lights on Broadway and thousands of New Yorkers jam their way into the New York Amsterdam theater every night to see her do her stuff.”

So raved the New York Tribune in 1924 about the young eccentric comedienne who was born near Great Falls in 1907.

The daughter of vaudeville performers, Edward and Susan Kelton, Pert Kelton was born October 14, 1907, on the Simms ranch on Box Elder creek, one mile south of the Highwood road, east of Great Falls.

Edward and Susan obtained a string of touring vaudeville contracts when Pert was a little girl; in 1911, while accompanying her parents and sister on an overseas tour of shows, she debuted on stage at the age of three in Cape Town, South Africa.

(Her aunt, Jane Kelton, was also a professional actress in the early 1900s. Jane is credited with giving the bright, vivacious

Pert Kelton 1942

Pert her name, while reminiscing to Pert’s mother about her career and describing her favorite theatrical role, the character Pert Barlow in a play called “Checkers.”)

At age six her parents added her to their act, and the “Three Keltons” attracted the attention of eastern booking offices and come the mid-1920s they were sent over the larger circuits, such as Keith's and the Orpheum. She appeared with her mother as “a sister act,” Pert and Sue Kelton, in which Pert played the trombone and Sue the clarinet, both danced, and Pert also gave impersonations of Charlie Chaplin and William S. Hart. The act finished with the two women providing vocal imitations of the trombone and clarinet.

In 1925, Pert was given the four-minute cameo role of eccentric comedienne in “Sunny,” Jerome Kern's 1925 Broadway musical comedy, starring Marilyn Miller. Soon her name was flashing from huge electric signs and well-known among Broadway theatergoers in the New York metropolis, prompting the dramatic critic of the New York Morning Telegram to write: “And now look at her name up in lights on Fortysecond! Rural papers, please don’t copy; keep the farm girl on the farm.

There’s a thousand awful flops for every Pert on Broadway.”

w

112 406

oman.com

Her first credited movie role was as Rosie the maid in the 1929 release Sally, a production based on the Broadway hit by the same name. The 1930 United States Federal Census reveals that Pert was residing in Los Angeles in the Warner-Kelton Hotel and sharing a room there with her parents. That same census identifies all three of the Keltons as employed actors in "motion pictures."

history}

Pert Kelton with Phil Silvers 1963

In 1925, Pert was given the four-minute cameo role of eccentric comedienne in “Sunny,” Jerome Kern's 1925 Broadway musical comedy, starring Marilyn Miller. Soon her name was flashing from huge electric signs and well-known among Broadway theatergoers in the New York metropolis Pert appeared in several top films throughout the 1930s, even playing herself in the 1935 short A Night at the Biltmore Bowl. After her appearance in the 1939 film Whispering Enemies, she returned to theatre and radio and then increasingly found work in television beginning in the 1950s. (Her finances must have dwindled, because in February 1940, she filed a voluntary petition of bankruptcy.)

Kelton was the original Alice Kramden in “The Honeymooners” comedy sketches on the DuMont’s “Cavalcade of Stars.” These sketches formed the eventual basis for the 1955 CBS Television sitcom “The Honeymooners.”

When television viewers on Oct. 5, 1951, tuned into Jackie Gleason's "Cavalcade of Stars," they expected to see such well-liked Gleason characters as Joe the Bartender, the Poor Soul, and Reggie van Gleason. But this program carried a surprise.

"You know, friends, that great institution, the honeymoon, is the time when the ship of life is launched on the sea of matrimony," said the show's announcer, Don Russell. "Well, tonight Jackie Gleason introduces two brand-new characters, Ralph and Alice Kramden -- the Honeymooners -- whose boat has sprung a leak."

w

114 406

oman.com

Pert Kelton Argentinian Ad Magazine, November 1934

The four-minute sketch that followed, with Kelton playing Alice, was the shaky first step toward "The Honeymooners," whose 39 episodes on CBS in the 1955-56 season are among the most watched and deliberated comedies in television history.

The opening episode is little more than a bickering match between Ralph and Alice about dinner that turns into a competition to see who can chuck the biggest object out the window. As played by Kelton, Alice is a tough, beaten bird with some hard, dispirited miles on her.

As the fracas intensifies, Alice starts to climb out the window. When Ralph shouts, "No! No!," she turns slowly and says, "I wouldn't give ya the satisfaction." The fight stops when Art Carney, playing a policeman, shows up at the Kramden apartment covered in flour.

The sketches get longer and more involved, but the emotional atmosphere remains unforgiving. Some of the comedy is almost painful, because it's so genuine. Yet, there's always reconciliation at the end.

Kelton was released from her role as a result of McCarthy-era blacklisting, replaced by Audrey Meadows. Due to her and her husband’s implication as a communist sympathizer by

the scurrilous publication, Red Channels, she was axed, and the producers falsely explained that her departure was due to “heart problems.”

Age may well have had something to do with Kelton’s replacement, according to some television historians. Kelton was nine years older than Gleason, while her replacement was six years younger.

But contemporary audiences may learn to respect Kelton's straightforward, spunky Alice, a hard-luck working-class wife with a kind heart. It’s a tender moment when, to the strains of Gerswin's "Our Love Is Here to Stay," she turns to Ralph and says, "I loved you ever since the day I walked in your bus and you shortchanged me."

In the late 1960s, Kelton was invited back to “The Honeymooners” to play Mrs. Gibson, Alice's mother, in an episode of the hour-long musical version of the popular sitcom. Kelton appeared in several television programs, commercials, and movies (most noticeably playing the feisty Irish mother Mrs. Paroo in “The Music Man”) up until her death on October 29, 1968. Her obituary in the New York Times refers to her “as a character actress who specialized in gangsters' molls and hard-boiled Brooklyn gals.”

Going to the Sun Gallery proudly Features Hayden Lambson and Ron Lesser

Hayden Lambson

focuses on realistic representations of wildlife and the outdoors.

His love for thees, inspires his paintings. His work has been outstandingly successful and he has been featured in Cabelas, BassPro, and Sportsman Warehouse.

Ron Lesser

paints beautiful paintings that have been featured on Hollywood movie posters and book covers, and has graced the covers of the most prestigious Civil War publications and has been exhibited at the Gettysburg National Park Museum and the National Civil War Museum. He is known for his Clint Eastwood western film posters. He is very talented and gained a lot of experience being an illustrator for 25 years.

Ron Lesser’s talents are diverse, painting amazing still life, portraits, wild life, western and historical images.