Idaho Family July/August 2021

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July/Aug 2021

‘THE GOOD LIFE’ 7 main elements

MUSIC’S POWER Benefits for babies

THAT MEAN OLE MAN A misnomer...for sure

SHAWN WHITE

Working for foster kids

OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS Do we value them enough?

Photo provided by Cascade Raft and Kayak

United We Read Children's Book Bash A party in the park to build a love of reading!

Join us!

Cost: Free!

Date: July 22, 2021 Time: Noon to 1:30pm Location: Riverfront Park in Garden City (E 42nd St, Garden City. Next to Boys & Girls Club of Ada County) Every child who attends will receive a free book and a free lunch (served until 1pm). CapEd’s Ed Word the literacy puppet and other special guests will read stories. Children, parents, and caregivers will have the opportunity to participate in crafts, games, and activities made possible by Idaho Public TV/PBS Kids and other partners!

Visit UnitedWayTV.org for more information to help your children learn and grow!

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LOCAL LIBRARIES

Contents

Features

Volume 9, Number 4 Publisher J.J. Plew Associate Publisher Adrianne Goff Adrianne@globalpsd.com

July/August 2021

Shawn White Helping foster kids

4

Sales & Marketing J.J. Plew jj@idahofamilymagazine.com 208-697-2043 Contributors Chuck Carpenter, Luke Erickson, Jessie Horney, Cara Johnson-Bader, Dennis Lopez, Sandy McDaniel Graphic Design Carol Smiley csmileydesign@gmail.com Distribution Shauna Howard, Doris Evans

Idaho Family Magazine, published monthly

by Gem Production Co., LLC, is committed to providing readers with informative and entertaining information to help them in maintaining healthy families and positive lifestyles. It is distributed throughout the valley as a free publication. Idaho Family Magazine does not assume responsibility for statements or opinions expressed by editorial contributors or advertisers. The acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services or information. Idaho Family Magazine does not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without express written consent of the publisher. Reader correspondence and editorial submissions are welcome. Idaho Family Magazine reserves the right to edit or reject all materials submitted.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2021 by Gem Production Co., LLC. Follow us on Facebook www.idahofamilymagazine.com

6 Real Money,

Real Families ‘The good life’

Cover Photo Cascade Raft and Kayak Editor Gaye Bunderson editorgaye@gmail.com

Columns

End of COVID-19

7 12 The

Music’s power

8

Outdoorsman

Clinging to a mask?

Benefits for babies

Coping tips Needed now

Mean ole man

9

14 The Horney Village

Appreciate your own neighborhood

In Each Edition 10 Family Events Calendar

Children’s Photos Wanted Idaho Family Magazine would love to put your child or children on our cover. All photos should be high quality, sharp and clear, and high resolution of around 300 ppi.

Color photos are preferred, and all photos need to be vertical not horizontal. Please identify the children in the photos, the children’s ages, and what Treasure Valley community they reside in. (If chosen for the cover, their last names will not be used without permission.) Send the photos to editorgaye@gmail.com.

FREE

July/Aug 2021

‘THE GOOD LI FE’

7 main elem ents

MUSIC’S POWER

Benefits

SHAWN WHITE

for babies

THAT M EA OLE MAN N

A misnome

r...for sure

Working

NEIGHB

for foste r kids

OUR OW N ORHOO DS

Do we valu e them enou gh?

Photo provid

ed by Casca

de Raft and

Kayak

Idaho Family Magazine | JUL/AUG 2021 3

SHAWN WHITE

Helping foster kids through 2 programs

By Gaye Bunderson

S

hawn White helps children every day. After holding what she refers to as “a lotta jobs” over the years, she now receives fulfillment in helping kids in foster care find their Forever Family.

Shawn serves as the Recruitment Services Administrator for both Wednesday’s Child and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids programs. It’s a job she started preparing for in her 30s, when she returned to school at Lewis-Clark State College, majoring in social work. Shawn worked an internship with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare in Child Welfare Case Management, and then became a Case Manager for the Department, a job she held for 8 years in Coeur d’Alene. But 4 years ago, she accepted a job with Wednesday’s Child and settled in the Treasure Valley.

When you see a Wednesday’s Child article for a youngster in this or another publication, Shawn is the person behind it. Each of those young people is in foster care and seeking a permanent home. It is a job with ups and downs. “Not all kids are adopted,” she said, “but we’ve had amazing success. … It’s difficult not to lose hope at times, but when a child who’s been waiting to be adopted for a long time actually gets adopted, it boosts me back up.”

While Wednesday’s Child (WC) and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids (WWK) are alike in their service to foster children, they are different in one major way. “Wednesday’s Child seeks to locate families from Idaho, or other parts of the country, who are already interested in foster care adoption, and then match them with our Idaho Waiting Children,” Shawn explained. “There often is not a pre-existing relationship between the youth and these families. It is child-specific recruitment that is also known as a general recruitment technique. Wendy’s Wonderful Kids uses what’s called Child-Focused Recruitment and focuses on finding a family from the youth’s known network, someone the youngster already knows and trusts.”

She explained that supervising the WWK program, along with the Idaho Wednesday’s Child program, was a very natural next step. “It is not unusual for the IDHW to enlist the assistance of both recruitment programs at the same time for certain youth in order to find a permanent family for them as quickly as possible,” she said.

Caseloads are generally smaller for the WWK program for the positive reason that the program seeks to find someone in the child’s life who has a connection with him or her, and that is more time-consuming. “As a Recruitment Supervisor, I work with our WWK adoption recruiters, who take on a smaller caseload and are able to get to know each of their youth. I encourage the recruiters to look under every rock and through the youth’s entire history to truly understand everyone in their life who might be a possible adoptive resource,” Shawn explained. “Sometimes you find a family member who can’t 4 JUL/AUG 2021 | Idaho Family Magazine

adopt the child, but that leads you to another family member and that leads you to a family friend and eventually you find someone who already knows and cares for that child to step up and adopt them. It’s my job to make sure the recruiters stay invigorated for the work and to help them think creatively when they feel they’ve hit a roadblock.”

WWK does not seek adoptive parents from the general public.

Also, WWK emphasizes relationship building between the recruiter and his or her foster youth, so that a long-term support system is established for the youngster.

“Sibling groups are a big part of our recruitment efforts,” Shawn said. “The preference is to keep them together whenever possible.” In a story that made headlines throughout Idaho, six siblings ages 2 to 12 were hoping to be adopted into one family.

“They were adorable children who were stable and doing well in their current foster homes; however at the time, they weren’t all living together. Three children were living with one family and three with another.”

It was determined that neither temporary family could take in all six children together, so Shawn and others began looking for a family that could adopt all six of them. An online effort was made and, eventually, a family in Coeur d’Alene wanted to adopt all six of the youngsters, even though they’d already adopted four other children. “It was highly unusual, but it was a good fit for the six kids,” Shawn said. The family had a big house, and the grandmother lived with them and had been a foster mother herself in the past. “They all made really great connections, and the six kids were able to stay in touch with the families they had lived with.”

Shawn thinks it’s important for families interested in foster care adoption to know that “though they sometimes cannot be placed for adoption with them, many of the youth we serve are still connected to members of their biological families. When possible, it’s important for the adoptive parents to nurture and keep those connected relationships.”

Both the Wednesday’s Child and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids programs in Idaho are grant-funded programs operated through the Eastern Washington University Family Resource and Training Center. The FRTC manages several other programs as well for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare that attend to the needs of Child Welfare Social Workers, children in foster care and foster parents throughout the state. The WWK program is funded with a grant from the Dave Thomas Foundation. Dave Thomas is the late owner of Wendy’s and was himself adopted. For more information, go to www.idahowednesdayschild.org or www.davethomasfoundation.org. www.idahofamilymagazine.com

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REAL MONEY, REAL FAMILIES

The 7 main elements of ‘the good life’

By Luke Erickson

moving target. And turns out that we’re the ones who are always moving it! It’s our own expectations that decide if the money we have is sufficient or not.

This reminds me of a profound quote that I heard this quote recently, and it’s very true goes like this, “The most amazing things that when it comes to managing our finances. How can happen to a human being will happen to much is really enough? Do you have a number you…if you just lower your expectations.” No for yourself ? The truth is that the vast majority this wasn’t Plato, Socrates or Seneca; it was of us think to ourselves, “If I just had that bonus the character Phil Dunphy from the sitcom, or raise, or enough to buy that certain car, or “Modern Family.” And as it happens, Phil’s enough to pay for that one vacation, then things quasi-inspirational thought is actually consistent would be much better and I’d finally be happy.” with research.

Then, of course, after struggle and debt we Author and neuroscientist Robb Rutledge finally get those things, and immediately set our Luke Erickson decided to monitor test subjects’ brains with an MRI while expectations on something else. playing a game where participants experience unexpected I think most will agree that our pursuit of jobs, careers, financial wins and losses. Summarizing the results Rutledge investments, and even lottery winnings is primarily a pursuit of said, “Happiness depends not on how well things are going but happiness. In a previous article I shared research showing that whether things are going better or worse than expected.” And happiness doesn’t really increase much once a household earns as scientists often do, Rutledge even came up with an equation more than about $100k. This is because expectations for higher income offset the additional happiness that this money may buy. to measure happiness, so people would know the secret to happiness. The end.

So, happiness, as it relates to money anyway, is a bit of a Okay, not quite. But we are on to something….and maybe something we already had a hunch about but couldn’t quite put a finger on. More money can increase happiness, but only to a certain point, and only if our expectations remain constant!

When I was in college, I got a good piece of advice from my older brother about finances. He told me to avoid making large jumps in lifestyle even when my income increased a lot. What he was really saying was to keep a tight grip on my expectations.

We understand And now, looking back, I can see that the toughest times I’ve had your time is valuable. with finances came when I expected a lot.

In 1930, renowned economist Maynard Keynes predicted We won’t waste that capitalism would, by 2015, raise income to levels high a minute of it. enough that people’s needs and wants would be sufficiently met Hassle Free and no one would need to work more than 15 hours per week.

Well, last I checked this was far from the norm for a typical Scheduling worker in 2021. So, what gives, Maynard? Were you completely Upfront wrong? Or, have typical working households simply raised their Pricing expectations beyond anything you imagined?

According to a Forbes article by Tim Worstall, the average Clean & American is actually 90 times richer than the average historical Professional human being (the average income for measurable societies compiled by Agnus Maddison). When addiction and mental health are factored out, the author argued, life-threatening poverty is not a significant issue in the United States.

So, if we’re 90 times removed from any sort of life-threatening poverty, shouldn’t Maynard be correct? That we simply don’t TheMagicTeam.com “Believe in Magic” need to work as much as our historical forefathers used to?

Turns out, no. Not even close. Probably because we are too

“You can never have enough of what you don’t need.”

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6 JUL/AUG 2021 | Idaho Family Magazine

Continued on Page 15 www.idahofamilymagazine.com

COVID-19 END NEARS IN U.S.

Author not quite ready to ditch the mask

By Dennis Lopez

I

am a 21st century Hiroo Onoda.

For those of you who don’t know his story, he was the last Japanese soldier to surrender after World War II. Seems he held out in the Philippines for 29 years after the war was over and had to hear from his old commanding officer that the war was over before he threw in the towel.

With the war on COVID-19 seemingly winding down for many Idaho families, I still may not be able to take my mask off and stop incessantly drenching my hands in hand sanitizer for a few more years. I am, in essence, a 21st century version of Lt. Onoda, refusing to come out of my bunker.

Yet there is an end, I suppose. In fact, I can see it now… Years from now, I am in the post office wearing tattered shards of a surgical mask when the Post Master and a group of concerned citizens surround me and attempt to convince me that the COVID war is over. I cower in fear of the unmasked group, eyes searching wildly for a bottle of hand sanitizer.

“It’s over,” the growing mob froths repeatedly in a near chant.

“O-V-E-R, OVER!” Huddled behind a recycling bin, I refuse to believe them, and then a rubber-gloved hand pushes a cell phone towards me. “It’s Dr. Anthony Fauci,” a disjointed voice says. “If he tells you it’s over, will you give up your mask?”

The COVID war is a war that has sort of ended. No ticker tape parades. No kissing random girls in Times Square. Nothing.

Just folks in power declaring a great victory and saying it’s over. I hope they are right, because all of the precautions my wife and I have taken since March, 2020 were aimed at keeping not just us, not just our immediate family, not just our friends, but you and

your family and friends safe. Dozens of face masks, gallons of hand sanitizer and rubber gloves later, we hope it was worth it.

Like any veteran who has experienced combat, I am certain I will look back at our personal skirmishes and outright battles that have come from COVID. And like most wars, this COVID war was not without casualties; family splits over the politicized and polarizing views taken by many; friendships dissolving because of differing views on the need for precautions, of not wanting to dine out or travel or visit. Small things, but things that somehow grew grotesquely large and unmanageable.

Simply put, the whole thing has sucked.

So, has it been all bad? No, I suppose not. I managed to start 137 different projects while sequestered. I think after checking off “clean my bookshelf,” I still have 136 to go. I have learned to listen more closely to my wonderful wife and to more fully understand all of the myriad things she does to keep things on an even keel even though I am convinced the sky is falling.

I spend a great deal of time emailing or talking with my adult children. Oddly enough, they really are adults with deep insight into subjects vast and varied. I have learned to be their student, rather than their teacher.

Speaking of learning, I took this time to begin to learn Russian. Can’t say why, it just seemed like something I wanted to try. It’s tough sledding but I am learning. My wife thinks I am going to send for a Ukrainian bride when I become conversational. Fat chance, unless she wants to discuss colors, numbers or the Cyrillic alphabet.

My self-directed, COVID-influenced and internet-powered learning system has its limitations, it seems.

Continued on Page 11

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MUSIC’S POWER

Songs and sounds — benefits for babies

By Cara Johnson-Bader

W

hether it is singing “Twinkle, Cognitive development – Music provides Twinkle, Little Star” or a fun and easy way for your baby to learn playing music and swaying about math concepts, such as counting, back and forth, engaging patterns, sequencing, and so much more. in musical activities with your baby helps Songs like “Five Little Monkeys,” “Ten in the brain development. Recent research shows Bed,” or “Five Little Ducks” are all wonderful that music affects the physical, emotional, examples of learning how to count. and intellectual development of babies You may think, “Well, I am not a good and strengthens cognitive and sensory singer.” That is just fine. Your singing voice development. does not matter. You are singing to you baby, Language development – Learning not to a judge on American Idol or The Voice, to classify sounds in music helps your baby and your baby loves the sound of your voice distinguish sounds of language, improve and the attention you are giving him.

Cara Johnson-Bader verbal memory, and build listening skills.

Your baby is a born music-maker, so share Social and emotional development – Singing a lullaby your playlist, sing together, or make music together. The to soothe your baby builds a bond between you and your benefits are powerful. little one and assists your baby in learning how to regulate Cara Johnson-Bader is the Vice President of Marketing and Parent emotions and soothe herself. Singing songs about feelings Experiences at New Horizon Academy and mother of two young boys. helps your baby learn words to describe his emotional Learn more about New Horizon Academy at newhorizonacademy.net. experiences.

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NEEDED NOW

5 coping tips for parents and kids

By Sandy McDaniel

1. Live in today.

4. Everyone should participate in family activities.

Don’t re-live yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. We only have today that we can live in. What can we do with today?

Eat dinner together, play board games, play charades, read a book aloud as a family, draw pictures/write a letter or make a Zoom call to an elderly family member, watch a movie and talk about it, or plan some act of kindness for someone or some other family. (Take them an entire meal that every family member participates in creating.) Or have everyone bring 5 lame jokes to a popcorn meeting.

2. Ask how the other person (child or adult) feels deep down inside.

And be quiet when any words are spoken.

Listen! Pain is stored in layers, so a person needs to “peel the onion” to get to the truth. If you go to fix it or lecture, the next layers will not be revealed. Be empathetic.

Say things like: “That must feel scary” or “I’m sorry that’s hurtful for you.”

3. Ask for help.

Sandy McDaniel

Most people come to me when their boat has capsized; ask for guidance when you don’t think it is crucial. Ask for help around the home. Parents are overwhelmed because they are now teachers AND parents. As a teacher I can tell you that most parents were not taught how to get a reluctant student to participate in school or how to do today’s math, and many parents are not bilingual so helping is difficult if not impossible. Make a chart and include all family members in keeping the household going. Trade chore time for outside-of-school media time.

5. Deal with your anger.

Remember: anger that is not dealt with turns to resentment, resentment that is not dealt with turns to revenge. Having a way to blow off steam is advisable.

A punching bag, running in the backyard from fenceto-fence, running in place, acting like a fire-breathing dragon (gets a reluctant child to take deep breaths).

Don’t let things go underground; have a weekly family meeting where expressing your thoughts and feelings is safe, and write in a journal. When everyone is miserable, everyone is also explosive – not being defensive or extra-critical is an act of kindness.

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CALENDAR of Events

JULY Sparklight Movie Night in Meridian

Beginning July, 2021

Please send family-related calendar items to editorgaye@gmail.com

The free family movie night has returned to Settlers Park, 3245 N. Meridian Rd. in Meridian, every Friday night from now until August 20. Movies start at dusk. “Shrek” will be shown July 2 and “Tom and Jerry” will be the feature on July 9. For a complete schedule, go to https://www.meridiancityspecialevents. org/2021-movie-schedule.html.

Area farmers markets

Farmers markets in the area are open. For more information, go to: • Capital City Public Market in Boise: www.capitalcitypublicmarket.com • Eagle Saturday Market: https://www.cityofeagle.org/170/Eagle-SaturdayMarket • Nampa Farmers Market: www.nampafarmersmarket.com More information about other farmers markets is listed in this calendar.

Meridian Main Street Market

The Meridian Main Street Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday until October 12. It features local vendors, crafters, artists, bakers, youth entrepreneurs, non-profits, musicians, and food trucks. For more information, go to www.meridianmainstreetmarket.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MeridianMainStreetMarket.

Idaho Shakespeare Festival

The Idaho Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2021 play schedule, which includes “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Henry V,” “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” and “Sleuth.” For more information, go to idahoshakespeare.org.

Explore the Refuge

The Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to visit for some outdoor fun. People of all ages may utilize their natural curiosity to investigate nature and be outside. Take the whole family. The refuge is located at 13751 Upper Embankment Rd. in Nampa. Call 208-467-9278 or go to to fws.gov for more information.

Foster care informational meetings

Foster parents are needed to provide a safe, temporary home for children and youth who are in foster care. Attending an informational meeting will give potential foster parents a basic understanding of who the children in foster care are, the roles and responsibilities of foster parents, and what’s needed to become licensed to foster. During an informational meeting, participants will hear from an experienced foster parent about the rewards and challenges of fostering, and will learn more about the background of some of the children and the length of time it will take to get a placement. The meetings are being held through Zoom, so anyone can join from the comfort of their own home. Meetings are sponsored by Fostering Idaho through the EWU-Family Resource and Training Center. Visit their website at https://familyrtc.org/fosteringidaho/events for the full calendar of upcoming meetings. If you have questions, contact Monique Layton, recruitment coordinator, at (208) 249-0180 or mlayton4@ewu.edu.

Boise WaterShed open

The Boise WaterShed is open, and staff is excited to welcome visitors back.

Protocols are still in place to help keep everyone safe. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the third Saturday of each month. For more information, go to https://bee.cityofboise. org/visit/boise-watershed/.

Discovery Center of Idaho

The Discovery Center is open to the public for exploring. For times and other information, go to dcidaho.org.

Farm to Fork Farmers’ Market

Caldwell is home to one of Idaho’s most diverse crop base, and for generations families have produced award-winning fruits, vegetables, grains and spices – and, now, top notch wines. Get the freshest produce to create excellent meals at home or find the perfect gift from local craftsmen or specialty food producers.

The Farm to Fork Farmers’ Market is held in conjunction with the Tuesdays on the Creek Concert Series from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through September 28 at Indian Creek Plaza. Go to indiancreekplaza.com for more information.

IRAP picnic

Idaho Relatives as Parents will hold a picnic in Meridian’s Kleiner Park from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 12, at the pavilion near the water pad. To RSVP for the picnic, or to find out more about Idaho Relatives as Parents and how to become a part of the group, contact secretary and member Charlye Hahn at charlye.hahn@teachers.org.

Snake River Stampede

The Snake River Stampede returns to the Ford Idaho Center, Nampa, uly 20-24. For tickets or more information, go to snakeriverstampede.com.

10 JUL/AUG 2021 | Idaho Family Magazine

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Canyon County Fair The Canyon County Fair is set for July 29-August 1 at the Canyon County Fairgrounds at 111 S. 22nd Ave. S. in Caldwell. For tickets or more information, go to canyoncountyfair.org.

AUGUST Traveling Playground Nampa Parks & Recreation’s Traveling Playground will be out and about this summer through August 12. Call (208) 468-5858 for more information, or visit nampaparks.org.

Silver Screen on the Green Nampa Parks & Recreation will offer free family movies at Optimist Park throughout the summer. Grab a blanket, lawn chair, family and friends and head to the park on Friday nights; movies start right at dusk. For more information and a list of movies, go to nampaparksandrecration.org or call 208-468-5858.

Military Appreciation Weekend Roaring Springs will host Military Appreciation Weekend from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, August 7-8. For more information, go to roaringsprings.com.

COVID-19 Continued from Page 7 Perhaps the biggest change for me directly has been photography. I enjoy motorsports and automotive photography and COVID cancelled or changed many of the events I normally would cover. So what to do with an armload of cameras? I am learning to shoot tabletop photos.

If you do it, you know that it is challenging. If you don’t and you have a camera, you should give it a try. It’s addictive and a heck of a lot of fun.

Most importantly, I would think, is that we have learned to adapt to a potentially dangerous world and, so far, to emerge stronger and wiser and perhaps just a bit more appreciative of one another and of our world.

And like my historic doppelganger, Lt. Onoda, I hope to step fully out of this jungle knowing I have done what is right and to live a healthy life to its fullest.

To see some of Dennis Lopez’s photos, go to Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotomundoamerica/.

The Great Dolphin Dunk The Great Dolphin Dunk is set for noon to 1 p.m. Sunday, August 8, at Roaring Springs’ Endless River for the possibility of winning some great prizes. The event is a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Ada County.

Adopt dolphins at Roaring Springs’ ticket booth at www.adaclubs.org/ dolphindunk/.

Celebration of the Young Child A Celebration of the Young Child is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, August 8, at the Idaho Botanical Gardens at 2355 N. Old Penitentiary Rd. in Boise.

This will be a free, community-wide event for children ages 2-8 and their families. There will be educational and fun activities, food trucks, raffle prizes, and live performances. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with organizations and businesses that focus on early learning and family needs.

Homeschool Week Roaring Springs will hold Homeschool Week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. MondayFriday, August 9-13. For more information, go to roaringsprings.com.

EARLY SEPTEMBER Experience Garden City

This free event is set for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, September 4, on 34th Street in Garden City. The annual one-day event celebrates the Valley’s most upand-coming community and will feature more than 80 vendors as well as food trucks, local artists, and music. Families are welcome, and there will be all sorts of kid-friendly activities for all ages. (The same group holds a bi-weekly farmers market from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays at 303 E. 34th St. Go to https://www.facebook.com/34thStreetMarket/ for more information.)

Festival of the Arts The annual show of handmade arts and crafts, Festival of the Arts, is set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, August 14, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, August 15, in Nampa’s Lakeview Park.

Caldwell Night Rodeo Dates for the 2021 Caldwell Night Rodeo are August 17-21. For tickets or more information, go to caldwellnightrodeo.com.

Western Idaho Fair After a year’s absence due to the pandemic, the Western Idaho Fair is back this year, August 20-29. There will be entertainers, competitions, and attractions, as well as all that diverse fair food. Go to idahofair.com for more information.

Music Theatre of Idaho production Music Theatre of Idaho announces its production of “Something Rotten” August 26-29, with 1:30 p.m. matinees August 28-29, and 7:30 p.m. evening shows all nights. The production will take place at the Nampa Civic Center.

Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing, and acting all at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. For more information and to buy tickets, click on broadwaynampa.org.

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n

in actio

!

at the Nampa Rec Center

Before School, After School & Full Day! Swimming • Rock Climbing • Court Games Crafts • Snacks and More!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 208-468-5858 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT NAMPARECCENTER.ORG Idaho Family Magazine | JUL/AUG 2021 11

THE OUTDOORSMAN

That mean ole man just up the road

By Chuck Carpenter

I

It wasn’t long before we met most of the n 1965 my family loaded up everything neighbor kids. The closest lived about two we owned and moved from Alaska back miles away. We spent lots of time tromping up to Western Montana. We spent a few and down the Bitterroot River, catching fish days with my grandparents in Hamilton, for supper.

Montana and then rented a house south of About a mile and a half up the river Conner, Montana along the East Fork of the there was an older house with a couple of Bitterroot River.

With lots of great fishing and hunting right outbuildings. It was a neat looking little place, out the back door, my two younger brothers very well kept. Two small creeks come down and I were in paradise. right behind the house and run into the river.

The only problem was that while we were in On some of our fishing trips I asked a few Alaska, Montana had started the mandatory of the neighbor kids to come along. All of 12-and-older Hunters Education Program. them told me not to go anywhere near that Chuck Carpenter In Alaska it was up to your parents when you neat looking little place. They said the old man that lived could hunt, but you had to be accompanied by an adult until there was crazy and really mean and nasty! I stayed clear of you were 16 years of age. the place, always going way around his property fences on my This wasn’t a problem for me; I was old enough to take excursions. the Montana Hunters Safety Course and was ready to go.

The first hunt I was able to go on after coming back from My two younger brothers had hunted a few big game species Alaska was a black bear hunt. I hiked off out of the back but now had to wait a few years to hunt until they were old of our house and over a hill and dropped down into one of enough to take the course. the small creeks that run down through the place where the mean guy lived. Lots of bear sign was in the area. The bears had been traveling up and down the creek, feeding on some of the many chokecherries that were growing there.

I eased up along the creek on an old overgrown logging road. I hadn’t traveled too far when I was able to harvest a nice, fat, medium-sized bear that would be good meat for the family. I dressed out the bear and pulled it down close to the old road.

Now I had to figure out how to get him home. I could cut him up and back-pack him in pieces back up and over the hill the way I had come. Or I could try to find out where the road comes out and have my dad come and pick me up when he got home from work.

I started back down the old logging road. About a mile down the road I came to a gate with a No Trespassing sign on it. One hundred yards through the trees I could see the house where the mean ole guy lived. The road went right through his yard and out to Highway 93, the way we would have to come if we were going to drive.

I walked back and forth along the gate. I thought about just turning around and packing my bear home the hard way.

What should I do, I wondered? What would happen if I just walked up and knocked on the door? Would I be shot? Would I be beaten, or worse?

I swallowed hard and eased through the gate. It took me longer to walk the one hundred yards to the house than it would have taken me to cover the mile back to my bear.

I swallowed hard again and knocked on the door.

12 JUL/AUG 2021 | Idaho Family Magazine

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Fred for helping me.

We loaded up in Fred’s jeep and picked up my bear. Me and my family became really close friends with Fred and Alice. My dad, brothers and I had many great times hunting and fishing with Fred. Our families shared many meals together. I will never forget the big smiles on the Stirwalts’ faces each time we would see them.

I’m not sure why the other kids in the area were so scared of Fred. He was always kind and happy to see everyone. The mean ole man up the road turned out to be the best friend and neighbor you could ask for!

Chuck Carpenter, who now lives in Idaho, likes to hunt, fish and trap. He worked on a farm as a boy; then, as an adult, he took a job with the Department of Interior’s Animal Damage Control, now called USDA Wildlife Services.

He ultimately became a district supervisor.

He retired in 2011.

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I could hear someone walking to the door. “Well, here goes,” I thought.

The door opened and there was this little cute gray-haired lady. She had twinkling blue eyes and a big smile on her face.

She looked almost like Mrs. Santa Claus.

“What can I help you with, young man?” she quietly asked.

I explained my dilemma to her. “Well, you will have to talk to Fred,” she replied. She looked back over her shoulder and said, “Fred, there is someone here to talk to you.”

I could hear someone in the kitchen thumping around and coming in my direction. A tall, thin, older gentleman come out of the kitchen on crutches. He stopped in the doorway and looked me up and down. A huge smile appeared on his face. “That’s a good-looking rifle you have, young fellow,” he said. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

I spent the next hour explaining about my hunt – and having milk and cookies. The ole man just kept grinning.

He wanted to know every detail. I think he was as excited as I was.

The names of my newfound friends were Fred and Alice Stirwalt. Fred had been in the First World War and was wounded really bad. He couldn’t get around without the crutches.

After our visit, he called my mother to see if it would be alright if he picked up my bear and brought it home for me.

My mother told Fred: “Well that little [bad word!]. I didn’t think he would find anything on his hunt!” And she thanked

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Idaho Family Magazine | JUL/AUG 2021 13

THE HORNEY VILLAGE

Is it time we live in our own neighborhood?

By Jessie Horney

B

oy, am I sick of talking about the real estate market.

I can’t even remember what people used to say at dinner parties before we started conversations with “Guess what my neighbors just sold their house for?” The valley is changing, from our tax-assessment values to the number of craft breweries in Garden City. And while I certainly don’t feel old enough to talk about how Boise used to look ‘back in the day,’ when you get a group of natives together (30-somethings included), soon you’ll hear tales of a two-lane Eagle road, long-distant phone calls to Caldwell (that’s not a joke) and a downtown with nary a cool coffee shop in sight.

I don’t need to explain the growth in our state and our cities, because even if you haven’t heard the numbers, you’ve felt the change. And honestly, even if you’re not from here, you are probably annoyed that other people had the audacity to move their families here after you did. There’s more traffic, houses are overpriced, and is it just me or are people grumpier at the grocery store now? The valley feels bigger and more cramped all at once, a crowded version of the open west that we didn’t mean to make.

14 JUL/AUG 2021 | Idaho Family Magazine

Well. Ladies and gentlemen, transplants and locals, I have amazing news. I know the way to cure our ills. Would you like fewer cars on the road, more friendly faces on your errands, and that hometown feeling that made us move (or stay) here in the first place? Here’s your solution: Don’t look for the best piano teacher.

Pay less for the soccer team.

Go to your local school instead of the trendy one across town.

The Big Idea: Live in your own neighborhood.

There is a phenomena amongst us 21st century parents explained like this: Maybe if we give our kids the very best, they will be the very best. And if they’re the very best, maybe their life will be good, and if their life is good, they’ll be happy. We have a strange obsession with our kids’ happiness, fleeting and impossible to measure though it may be, and we have let the world around us play that obsession like an expensive, time-consuming fiddle. I’d love to pretend that I am above (or beyond) such entrapment, but then I put my youngest daughter in ballet. I picked a studio based on the drive time from my house, in keeping with the message I’m preaching in this article, but then something happened. I

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thought she was good.

She’s 5, so of course she’s not good. Five-year-olds in ballet just look at themselves in the long studio mirror and trip over their own pink slippered feet. “But look at her arm extensions!

Look at her strong legs!” I said to myself, convinced of her future in dance. Then I had it: I had the thought that’s contributing to all that traffic that’s making us so mad. I wonder if there’s a better studio than this one. I looked at that preschooler prancing around in a tutu and wondered if maybe I should get her the best teacher I could find.

The best school. The best team. The best church. The best, best, best because anything else isn’t fair to my very special family.

In pursuit of a narrowed version of the dream life, we have spread our lives too thin. It takes discipline to stay close to home. Why meet at the little park when we could drive to the new one? Why go next door for a missing ingredient when we could just pop over to the store and avoid a chatty neighbor?

Why settle for the soccer team close to home when we could get our kid on the best team in the city (cost, drive, and lack of talent be damned)?

The why is what matters; we invest in neighborhood resources to keep our connections strong. When we stretch the diameter of our lives too far from home, the line weakens. We don’t know our neighbors. Our kids can’t bike to their classmates’ houses because everyone lives in different parts of the city. People are grumpy at the grocery store because everyone is a stranger and a line of strangers is way worse than a line of friends.

If we want our city to stay warm, connected, and close, then we have to lead the way with our warmth, connection, and proximity to home. We have to remember that little ballerinas don’t need the very best teachers to be happy; they need parents who aren’t stressed by traffic, lack of time, and the chaos of a life lived in pursuit of the top. Your kids don’t need the best piano teacher; they need a community that knows their name and cares about their family. We need each other. And sometimes (a lot of times) that starts by learning our neighbors’ names, walking to the park instead of driving, and learning to love the place where we live.

Jessie Horney is a writer, speaker, and the director of Wonder School, a non-profit preschool in Boise.

REAL MONEY Continued from Page 6 busy inventing new ways to spend our money, and raising our expectations to match them. It’s likely that Maynard didn’t anticipate things like iPhones, bottled water, DoorDash, hoverboards, Teslas, and $5 morning Lattes, all of which, since we can buy them, we convince ourselves that we need to buy them in order to be happy. And when we can’t buy those things, our happiness goes down the toilet in spite of being 90 times removed from poverty.

In a book called “How much is enough?” authors Skidelsky & Skidelsky suggested that most people in western culture lead lives that revolve around money, and financial decisions. Instead, they suggest a radical approach to finances. Instead of earning money and then finding ways to spend it, they suggest first defining what a good life looks like to us, then earning enough money to support it.

The “good life” as they suggest, is defined not by asking “how much you need” first, but rather last.

So how can you determine your own “good life?” The authors boiled it down to 7 areas of life to address directly. These 7 elements are: health, security, respect, personality, harmony with nature, friendship, and leisure.

I also think it’s important to take into consideration your own personal values. If you don’t know what they are, just Google “determine my personal values” and you’ll be given a slew of websites that can help you figure them out.

The 7 areas of the “good life” combined with your core personal values may be supported by money, but the point is that the money has a specific purpose assigned to it. Instead of simply trying to earn as much money as possible, it’s about earning money to intentionally support your own values, goals, and 7 elements of a “good life.”

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One of my favorite personal finance classes to teach is one on financial goal setting. It’s a favorite of mine because in its own way it rebels against the typical approach to finances that prescribes some generic notion of “wise spending.” Instead, the financial goal setting class helps learners understand what values and goals matter most to them individually, then begins to build a personalized financial plan around them. It gets right to the heart of “Why?” and the motivation behind managing our personal finances. It also helps move learners closer to that ever-important question of “How much is enough?”

To summarize, one of the most important ingredients to happiness with your money is to curb “insatiability,” or the idea that more is always better. Once we can temper our expectations, having “enough” gets a lot easier. Exactly how do you do this?

Explore your core values, life goals, and figure out how to support the seven core areas of happiness with the income you already have. And, last but not least, it’s important to be grateful for what we already have. While we all want more, we need to realize that we are blessed with wealth almost unthinkable to most human beings throughout history.

Tony Robbins is credited with saying, “Replace your expectations with appreciation and your whole world changes in an instant.”

Can money buy happiness? Probably, as long as we can learn to appreciate a little more and expect a little less.

Luke Erickson, Ph.D., AFC®, REALTOR® is an associate professor of personal finance for the University of Idaho. He lives and works in the Treasure Valley. Luke and his wife Rachel have been married for 16 years and live in Meridian, Idaho with their four energetic children. Got questions or comments about kids and money? Email them to erickson@uidaho.edu and he’ll respond in future articles.

Idaho Family Magazine | JUL/AUG 2021 15