Yellowstone Valley Woman Magazine

SplishSplash

IT'S TIME FOR A (MUD) BATH!

"Montana weather can be unpredictable, but the Terrain is ready. Bring on the mud! Safe, comfortable and fun to drive. Loaded with the latest performance & technology upgrades, the 2023 GMC Terrain AT4 is more than capable to get you wherever you want to go. Hurry in and shop for yours today."

7 GMC TERRAINS NOW AVAILABLE!

Josh Soares, Owner, GMC of Billings.

ONE DAY NOT too long ago, driving around town with my mom, she asked me how work was going. When I told her that we were putting the finishing touches on our spring issue, she asked what the issue was all about. I replied simply, “Moms.” With a smirk on her face, she told me, “Well, it can’t be. You never interviewed me.”

Keep in mind, my 86-year-young mom can be a bit of a ham. So, I looked at her and said, “OK. Deal. I’ll interview you.”

A couple of hours later, I knocked on her door, and she was surprised to see me so soon. “Ready for your interview?” I asked. She answered, “You aren’t going to make me cry like Oprah does, are you?” “No, Mom. Not like Oprah.”

As with all my interviews, I set up the recording app on my phone and put it down in the middle of her dining room table.

“So, tell me,” I said, “what’s been your biggest joy of motherhood?”

“I would say my biggest joy of motherhood is just seeing how a beautiful teeny creature can evolve into a person that has personality that brings laughter, joy, and love most importantly,” my mom said.

When I asked about her biggest sorrow, it got a little personal. “I think the biggest sorrow was when you moved to Montana and left me in Michigan,” she said. Thirteen years ago, she made the move to Montana, but for 17 years we were separated by 1,600 miles. I’d always known she missed me, but I never dreamed she’d list this as one of her biggest sorrows.

She went on to say that her struggles with pregnancy provided heartbreak. Before I was born, she suffered three miscarriages, and she got to the point where she doubted if motherhood was ever going to be in her future. On top of it, society back then wasn’t as understanding about infant loss.

“It was just brushed over,” she said. “I worked and my boss asked, ‘When are you coming back?’ instead of saying, ‘You need to take some time and make sure you’re OK.’”

As the mother of two adult children, she offered a bit of advice for new moms.

“Love that baby each and every day because before you know it, they’re gone,” she said with a serious smile. “Time flies so quickly and you need to enjoy every single second.”

When I asked her if there was one memory of motherhood she’d never forget, she turned to the day she went into labor with me. I laughed because I’ve heard the story countless times. It happened in the middle of a snowstorm. Her poor feet were so swollen she could only slip on her snow boots. My dad, who was an automotive engineer for General Motors, was working late, so my uncle ended up taking her to the hospital. After 20-some hours of labor, she says, “Once I held you, all the pain of labor was all gone. All I could think about was Oh, I have this beautiful little baby. What a blessing. How wonderful is this?”

After years and years of trying to have children, she could finally add “mother” to her long list of titles.

“A mother is a caregiver,” she said. “She’s a lover. She’s selfless. She is an emotional supporter. She’s a teacher. When kids are growing up and learning things, you need to be there to teach them right from wrong and you have to lead them in the right direction.”

Ten years after I was born, my brother, Justin, came along.

“I love my two children unequivocally. I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world,” she said.

What started as a kind of a dare — interviewing my mom on motherhood — turned into a gift. It was a short but meaningful conversation when I saw the love in her eyes and the feelings she’s held onto all these years.

Thanks, Mom, for egging me on to do this interview. It was perhaps one of the most special in my career.

Happy Mother’s Day!

PUBLISHER & EDITOR

JULIE KOERBER julie@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

COPY EDITOR

ED KEMMICK

SOCIAL MEDIA

LAURA BAILEY

ADVERTISING

TERRY PERKINS: 406-860-3951 terry@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

TRISH SCOZZARI: 406-690-9528 trish@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

LYNN LANGELIERS: 406-671-2325 lynn@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

MICHELE KONZEN: 406-690-4539 michele@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

GAYLE SMITH: 406-855-8210 gayle@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MELANIE FABRIZIUS ads@yellowstonevalleywoman.com

DISTRIBUTION

NICOLE BURTELL

Home and Garden

82

96

Women team up to change the west-end scene

102

St. John’s United helps relationships (and plants) take root

Red Lodge woman taps into natural cures for pests and problems in the garden

106 GET GROWING

Simple ways to keep your flowers beautiful & blooming all summer long

54 FASHION: Viva Magenta!

70 KAREN GROSZ: I Need a Friend

76 TASTE OF THE VALLEY: Cheers to June!

In

meet the STAFF

we our community partners

lynn langeliers Sales Executive

Michele Konzen Sales Executive

gayle smith Sales Executive

melanie Fabrizius Design daniel sullivan Photography

Terry Perkins Sales Executive

trish scozzari Sales Executive / Writer

casey Page Photography

Nicole Burtell Distribution

LAURA BAILeY Social Media / Writer

ed kemmick Copy Editor / Writer

moms moms moms mission mission mission on a

WHEN MOMS UNITE, they can be an unstoppable force. That's why YVW is shining the spotlight on those women in our community who are champions for momsfrom women banding together to help new moms bond with their babies to moms offering compassion to those suffering loss. Meet these moms who are on a mission.

Babies Babies Babies Beyond Bars Beyond Bars Beyond Bars

THE POSITIVE FORCE OF HELPING INCARCERATED MOMS STAY CONNECTED TO THEIR INFANTS

written by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN and AMELIA DIGIANO

Gayle

Carol Lesli Jamie

WHEN A WOMAN incarcerated in the Montana prison system gives birth, she’ll likely have only 24 hours with her baby before she’s discharged from the hospital. She’ll hand over her newborn to family or foster care.

“It’s traumatic for both mother and baby,” says Lesli Gould, founder of Babies Beyond Bars, a new nonprofit that provides breastfeeding support and education to incarcerated mothers.

Lesli is an international board-certified lactation consultant at the Children’s Clinic, and coaches breastfeeding mothers. She believes the bond between mother and child, created at birth, can be strengthened as incarcerated mothers provide breast milk to their babies.

“I just saw women who were at a real disadvantage,” Lesli says. “They’re separated from their babies.”

Experts say infants should receive only breast milk for the first six months of life, and breastfeeding is recommended up to two years. Incarcerated women have less than 24 hours to breastfeed unless they decide to pump their breast milk, which, in most correctional facilities, isn’t supported.

Lesli brought her concerns to several other women in her professional circle, and together they formed Babies Beyond Bars.

It’s a new program, but this group of women spent a year laying the groundwork. They started last May. At the time, several women in Passages, a Montana Department of Corrections pre-release center, gave birth. One mother wanted to pump her breast milk

for her baby, and although prison staff members were supportive, they realized there wasn’t a plan in place. Thankfully, the Family Tree Center, which provides parenting and pregnancy education for women in the prison system, stepped in to help with the logistics. The situation had a positive outcome, but it had many people, including Lesli, wondering if there wasn’t a need for a more formal program.

Gayle Espeseth, a recently retired dietitian who worked for Riverstone Health WIC Program, was among the “problem solvers” who came to the rescue and helped to find a breast pump for the mother at Passages. When she heard of Lesli’s idea, she jumped on board.

“She was lucky. She had great family support. She pumped until she was out of Passages, and it was a great experience for her,” Gayle says.

Babies Beyond Bars is all volunteer-led and relies on donations and small grants for program support. The nonprofit is an independent program of the Family Tree Center, which is already active in the prison system.

Carol Roberts, a local Le Leche League leader, joined the team at

BABIES BEYOND BARS IS ALL VOLUNTEER-LED AND RELIES ON DONATIONS AND SMALL GRANTS FOR PROGRAM SUPPORT.

start-up. With 40 years of experience as a lactation consultant, she’s used to supporting breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

“We work with that mother in her situation to make it work for them, and this isn’t that different. It’s working with a mother … so she can have that connection with her baby, which is important. When they are released, they can pick up where they left off.”

There are few, if any, studies on pumping breast milk in prison, but what is known through research is that strong family connections reduce the rate of recidivism. Breastfeeding – even from

a distance – creates a bond.

“Pumping and giving their breast milk to their baby is something only the mother can do so it creates a sense of value. They know they are valuable,” Carol says. “And she knows she’s connected to her baby through her breast milk.”

One of the barriers that Babies Beyond Bars hopes to overcome is shipping. Sometimes babies aren’t in the Billings area and frozen breast milk needs to be shipped. One shipment can cost up to $350, Lesli says. Prior to the establishment of Babies Beyond Bars, the caregiver had to pay for the shipping and/or arrange a pick-up. Lesli and her team are actively raising money to cover shipping costs.

Donated funds are also used to buy breastfeeding supplies and hospital-grade breast pumps, which are made to initiate and maintain production. They are also safe to be used by multiple mothers and cost about $2,200. They’ve already secured several breast pumps through grants and donations, but more are needed. Babies Beyond Bars would also like to supply breast pumps to the Women’s Prison, Passages Pre-Release Center, and the Yellowstone County jail.

WE WORK WITH THAT MOTHER IN HER SITUATION TO MAKE IT WORK FOR THEM … SO SHE CAN HAVE THAT CONNECTION WITH HER BABY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED, THEY CAN PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF.

— Carol Roberts

The warden at the Women’s Prison is 100 percent on-board with the project. She had allowed inmates to pump their breast milk in the past and is appreciative of an established program to provide education and support.

The motivation to pump every three to four hours is difficult to maintain, especially without support. Babies Beyond Bars hopes that by providing encouragement and education, they can boost motivation and commitment.

“They have to wake up at night. They have to be motivated,” says Jamie White, a lactation consultant on the Babies Beyond Bars team.

“It’s important to have someone say it’s worth it,” Carol adds.

For now, Babies Beyond Bars is focused on providing breastfeeding support and education to incarcerated mothers but they eventually would like to establish a program that provides doula support for them as well. Doulas provide support and education to expectant mothers and work closely with them throughout pregnancy and birth.

“We want to provide a service to a community that’s lacking a voice,” Lesli says. ✻

YOU CAN SUPPORT BABIES BEYOND BARS BY MAKING A DONATION ONLINE AT WWW. BABIES BEYONDBARS.ORG

spe spe something something cial cial

BILLINGS MOM BUILDS COMMUNITY

written by JULIE LOVELL

photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

YOU CAN SEE IT IN THEIR EYES.

It’s a look that parents of children with special needs spot instantly in each other — fiercely devoted to their beautiful children, but tired, as they gear up for the next complication, next hospital trip, next school meeting. Pushing through, day by day, hour by hour and sometimes, minute by minute. Fearful about the future, but hanging on to hope.

As a special needs mom, Jamie Buechler knows that look, that life, because she lives it every day. She also knows the journey can be isolating and lonely. So when she couldn’t find the community her family needed, she helped create one — for herself and for hundreds of others across Billings.

“I feel like no one should ever walk this life alone, and because of how lonely it can be, I don’t want anyone to ever have to shut down and not think they have anyone,” says Jamie. “Not that I can reach out to everybody, but I feel that people can come to me and ask questions, even if I don’t know the answer.”

You don’t have to look hard to see where Jamie is making a positive difference across the special needs community in Billings. Whether it’s leading forums on special needs issues, helping moderate a special needs Facebook group, or coordinating fun outings for families, you’ll find her at the heart of it all.

“I think Jamie has a really unique capacity to maintain openness in her heart and her life, regardless of how painful the hand she’s been dealt," says Brittany Rieker, an occupational therapist who owns LEAF Pediatric Therapy in Billings. “That makes her a really fantastic resource to other families.”

“It’s something that’s such a huge piece of my life, and I was feeling lonely, and I’m like if I throw myself into this piece of it, then maybe I’ll get something in return,” Jamie says. “Maybe that sounds bad, but we just grasp at whatever we can find. It’s opened up so many opportunities.”

As a family support advocate for LEAF, Jamie offers special needs parents a helping hand. She guides them in a variety of ways, including navigating an often-confusing maze of services

and resources available for their children. Each child with special needs faces unique challenges, but there is a common bond between parents because they understand the journey’s highs and lows. One of Jamie’s most powerful gifts to these parents is connection to community.

“I just go in to listen and give a resource here and there,” says Jamie. “When they say thank you for listening, it’s huge, because that’s all I ever wanted.”

“She is present when a family comes in that is struggling with a portion of their diagnoses, or just the season of life they’re in with their child,” says Brittany. “She coordinates a lot of resources that are available to them, to make sure they’re aware of all of the options they have as they start moving forward and advocating for their child.”

Jamie knows how important it is to be a strong advocate. Her 14-year-old son, Gavin, has autism, and didn’t speak until age 6. He struggles with social interactions and understanding expressive cues, but with the help of early intervention and speech therapy, Jamie says he’s thriving. Her youngest son, Eli, is 12 and has been diagnosed with HECW 2, a terminal genetic disease that affects about 100 people around the world.

“He doesn’t stand on his own, he eats a few

purees by mouth, but everything else is tube-fed,” Jamie says. “He’s got cortical vision impairment, and cognitively he’s about 8 months old, if you can test cognition very well. In the last few years, he also has started having seizures.”

Jamie is a fighter and has spent the last several years battling for the rights of her sons, as well as many other children with special needs in our community. Whether it’s advocating for better healthcare, therapies, educational programs or social opportunities, she offers a strong voice. She urges other parents to step up for their children, especially when they cannot speak for themselves.

One of Jamie’s passions: helping others better understand special needs families.

“You hear other moms say things like, ‘I wish I wouldn’t have to chase

I THINK JAMIE HAS A REALLY UNIQUE CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN OPENNESS IN HER HEART AND HER LIFE, REGARDLESS OF HOW PAINFUL THE HAND SHE’S BEEN DEALT. THAT MAKES HER A REALLY FANTASTIC RESOURCE TO OTHER FAMILIES.

— Brittany Rieker, Owner of LEAF Pediatric Therapy

JAMIE WORKS WITH MOM BRITTANY DIGIALLONARDO AND HER SON, THOMAS

family in ZooMontana’s 14thzoomontana.org Chase December Finals Montana. Memorial during

Beauty & the Beast

Billings Studio Theatre presents “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Junior,” January 10th-13th. Brainy and beautiful Belle yearns to escape her narrow and restricted life including her brute of a suitor, Gaston. Belle gets adventurous and as a result becomes a captive in the Beast’s enchanted castle! Dancing flatware, menacing wolves and singing furniture fill the stage with thrills during this beloved fairy tale about very different people finding strength in one another as they learn how to love.billingsstudiotheatre.com

F R inge Festiva L

Venture Theatre presents its Fringe Festival, January 18th-19th and 25th-26th.The festival features four nights of shows featuring local and regional performing artists of all types including dance, standup comedy, theater improv, one act plays, musicals, performance art, spoken word/poetry, and puppetry.venturetheatre.org

s ou L s t R eet d an C e

my son around,’ or ‘I wish they’d stop talking,’ and oh, I just crave that,” Jamie says. “I crave for my son to wrap his arms around me or to tell me that he loves me, but I won’t hear those words. I don’t think people can truly understand any of that unless they’ve been through it.”

This high energy show comes to the Alberta Bair Theater on January 19th and presents a new era in dance, while pushing the artistic boundaries of street dance. Soul Street concerts consist of a mix of movement that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The music is combined with an electric mix ranging from hip-hop to classical. It’s a show that will make you laugh and keep audiences of all ages entertained.

Legislators, educators, school board members, physicians and the community at large were invited to the “Unseen” screening. While special needs parents and others connected to the special needs community filled some seats, many others were empty. Jamie hopes an even wider audience will take time to watch the documentary to learn about the struggles these families face.

Last fall, Jamie took a step toward building understanding by helping coordinate a screening of the documentary, “Unseen,” which takes an unfiltered look at the daily lives of parent caregivers. Many care for their children round-the-clock, with little sleep and lots of juggling. It can be overwhelming to manage doctor appointments and therapies, research new treatments, oversee their children’s education and try to make sure their other kids get enough attention. Throw in trying to hold down jobs outside the home and the financial challenges of caring for children with complex medical problems and it adds up to a mountain of stress. In addition to caring for her family, Jamie has two part-time jobs. She says she couldn’t do it without her husband, Casey.

a Con C e R t F o R the w ho L e Fami Ly

Billings Symphony presents its Family Concert on January 26th at the Alberta Bair Theater. Four time Grammy nominees, “Trout Fishing in America,” will perform along with the Billings Symphony. Trout Fishing in America is a musical duo which performs folk rock and children’s music. billingssymphony.com

“It’s hard prioritizing,” Jamie says. “I don’t know how people do it. I keep a calendar and prioritize and it’s a lot all of the time.”

“I feel like bringing the documentary was just a very small glimpse into what families need,” Jamie says. “If you ask a special needs family what they need, they’re going to say ‘nothing’ or ‘we’re good.’ Even something like dropping something by their home can help, or wanting to get on the floor with their child to learn more about them. Asking questions, instead of staring and shying their kids away.”

For Jamie, the documentary hits home because it’s raw and real. She says it was sad and hard to watch. When it comes to helping families with special needs, there are no easy answers.

“I talked with someone at one of the pediatric clinics and he wanted to show it to his staff,” Jamie says. “He said his office is already changing things, like their intake process, after watching

ESTIMATED 16.8 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE U.S. CARE FOR A CHILD WITH DISABILITIES OR COMPLEX MEDICAL NEEDS.

Helping Veterans One Rescue at a Time Helping Veterans One Rescue at a Time

Sometimes the best support comes from four paws and a wet nose. Learn more at dogtagbuddies org

JAMIE'S SON, GAVIN (THIRD FROM LEFT), PERFORMED IN APRIL WITH DANCE FOR ALL ABILITIES, AN ALL-INCLUSIVE DANCE GROUP.

the documentary.”

Outside of events, Jamie helps moderate Special Needs Billings, a Facebook group that serves as a sort of information clearinghouse. Group members go there to find information about everything from educational, financial and medical resources to upcoming social events in Billings.

“Jamie is really a go-getter,” says Bridget Roe, a special needs mom who created the Facebook group about seven years ago. “She has the energy of 50 people, and whenever I need something, I’ll be like, ‘Hey Jamie, I want to do this,’ and she has enough connections to get more done.”

The Facebook group now includes about 1,900 members who find it a powerful way to connect and share needed information.

“The group has grown tremendously,” says Bridget. “It’s really nice to see that people realize there’s a need for it. We’re not all on the same phone tree. We do need a way to find out what’s out there.”

They also use the page to encourage one another.

“When I posted that Eli finally sat up at age 7, the people in that group were like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing!’” says Jamie. “Whereas other people will look at you like they just don’t understand. It’s a whole different dynamic.”

Each special needs family is different, but many crave social interaction, friendship and fun. Parents often find it difficult to take their children out in the community because of concerns that include health risks, behavior challenges, overstimulation, and even feeling uncomfortable when other people stare or make rude comments. That’s why each summer, as part of her advocacy role for LEAF, Jamie helps coordinate a handful of outings at the Oasis Water Park. Children and adults with special needs, their families and caregivers are welcomed into the park free of charge after 5 p.m. From 7 to 8:30 p.m., the pool is open only to them.

“It’s great, because a lot of people will not go there at other times, because it’s just too much for their kids,” Jamie says. “Even though we have 200-plus people go, it doesn’t feel like it. The kids can just be themselves.”

Since Bridget Roe started the Oasis outings about five years ago on behalf of her son, Maverick, a number of Billings businesses have stepped up to support the outings. Jamie and Bridget are very grateful.

“Everything we have tried to do has had tremendous support from the community,” Bridget says.

Other activities, like an annual Easter egg hunt, social groups, book studies for parents and community forums on topics like guardianship help create bonds, easing isolation and encouraging friendship.

“Jamie and I have talked a lot about how

isolating parenthood is,” says Brittany Rieker. “All on its own, parenthood is isolating, and then it’s isolating almost one hundred-fold over when you don’t have the same type of support network because your kids have additional needs. So who can babysit my kid who has a g-tube or a trach? I don’t know anybody. So how do we build a community that’s educated, so they understand what it would be like to include someone who may have different medical needs, different sensory needs, or different educational needs?”

Jamie also wants people with special needs to play a bigger role in the larger community in Billings. She believes educating others about disabilities is key to helping families and children feel welcome and find their place in the Magic City.

TO CONNECT WITH OTHER FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, JOIN THE FACEBOOK PAGE

SPECIAL NEEDS BILLINGS

WHEN I POSTED THAT ELI FINALLY SAT UP AT AGE 7, THE PEOPLE IN THAT GROUP WERE LIKE, ‘WOW, THAT’S AMAZING!’ WHEREAS OTHER PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT YOU LIKE THEY JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND. IT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT DYNAMIC.

— Jamie Buechler

“How do we build those things for people to prosper in a social setting and their families side by side with the rest of our community, so it isn’t segregated and isolated and lonely?” Brittany Rieker asks. “That’s where Jamie steps in.”

“You know when little kids want to ask questions and their parents are like, ‘no, no, no’? It’s all about educating,” Jamie says. “To me, you’re parenting right if you allow your children to be around children with special needs and they want to be their friend. And not just include them because you feel you have to, but because you want to.”

Jamie’s sons have taught her important life lessons, and she believes everyone can learn from those with special needs.

“Most are happy. They’re joyous and they’re real,” says Jamie. “Sometimes I wonder if people are afraid because they’re so real. They don’t hide their true selves. They don’t put themselves in a cookie cutter box. They just are who they are with no apology. I think that if you don’t have a special needs person in your life, you are so missing out.”

Today, both of Jamie’s boys are 7th-graders at Ben Steele Middle School. Gavin is making great strides, and loves performing with Dance for all Abilities, an all-inclusive dance class. Eli has a smile that lights up a room. Their lives are busy with the boys’ therapies and doctor appointments, but Jamie and Casey treasure family time with Eli, Gavin and older brother, Tanis.

“The joy can be just in a smile or in a touch,” Jamie says. “The smiles, the laughter, it’s those things that get you through the day.”

For Jamie, each of Eli’s seemingly small successes is a reason to celebrate.

“I don’t think people can truly understand any of that, unless they’ve been through it,” says Jamie. “The therapies, those types of things like when he holds the maracas for three seconds longer than he did before, they’re great things to celebrate, but hard at the same time.”

One thing Jamie eagerly desires: for Eli to be known by others.

“We don’t have this community where they’re asking to come over or wanting to know more about him or any of those things,” says Jamie. That’s the biggest challenge, because at the end of his life, we don’t know how long we have him, I want people to know him.”

Faith is at the forefront of Jamie’s special needs journey, helping her find peace in the midst of everyday struggles. But because Eli sometimes has outbursts, the Buechlers usually watch church services online. Jamie would love to see more churches reach out to people with special needs.

“I just want the whole special needs community to be seen and

heard,” says Jamie. “I go back to the documentary — feeling unseen. You can be in a crowd of people and still feel unseen. I think just reaching out to families, getting to know them, inviting them to church or barbecues — really, anything can help.”

Juggling her sons’ therapies, doctor appointments, schooling and her other jobs keeps Jamie on the run most days. She says that while some people may think she has it all together, that’s far from the truth. Still, she keeps moving forward, fueled by her faith and looking for ways to make a difference for her family and her community.

“She really is an outstanding human,” Brittany Rieker says. ✻

JULIE LOVELL, writer

Julie is a former Billings news anchor who loves sharing positive news stories. After spending a decade in Georgia, her family is happy to back home in Montana. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her volunteering for special needs organizations, stretching her faith and getting reacquainted with the joys of life under the Big Sky!

FINANCIAL FOCUS

Should investors ‘go it alone’?

by Morgan A Reif, AAMS®, Financial Advisor

If you’re going to enjoy a comfortable retirement, you should know, among other things, how much money you’ll need. And you may have a much better chance of knowing this if you get some professional help.

Consider these findings from a 2021 study by Dalbar, a financial services market research firm:

• Investors who worked with a financial advisor were three times more likely to estimate what they would have saved at retirement than “do-it-yourself” investors.

• More than two-thirds of investors with a financial advisor were satisfied with the amount they would have saved at retirement, compared to about 27% of the doit-yourselfers.

How do financial professionals help their clients in these ways?

First, consider the issue of determining how much money will be needed for retirement. It’s not always easy for individuals to estimate this amount. But financial professionals can help clients like you arrive at this figure by exploring your hopes and goals. How long do you

plan to work? What kind of lifestyle do you anticipate enjoying in retirement? Where would you like to live? How much would you like to travel? Are you open to pursuing earned income opportunities, such as consulting or working part time?

Next comes the other key question: How much money will be available for retirement? This big question leads to many others: How much do you need to save and invest each year until you retire? About what sort of investment return will you need to reach your retirement income goals? What level of risk are you willing to take to achieve that return? What is the role of other income sources such as Social Security or any pensions you might have?

Having a financial professional help you gain a clear idea of your retirement income picture can certainly be reassuring. But there may be other reasons why “going it alone” as an investor might not be desirable.

For example, when the financial markets are down, as was the case for much of 2022, some investors make decisions based on short-term volatility, such as selling investments to “cut their losses,”

even if these same investments still have solid business fundamentals and good prospects for growth. But if you work with a financial professional, you might decide to stick with these investments, especially if they’re still appropriate for your long-term strategy. Other times, of course, the advice may be different — but it will always be advice based on your goals, needs and time horizon.

Furthermore, if you’re investing on your own, you may always be measuring your results against the major market indexes, such as the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones Industrial Average. But in reality, your portfolio should contain a wide range of investments, some of which aren’t contained in these indexes, so you might not be assessing your performance appropriately. A financial professional can help you develop your own, more meaningful benchmarks that can show the progress you’re actually making toward your goals.

In some areas of life, going it alone can be exciting — but when it comes to investing for your future, you may benefit from some company on the journey.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Edward Jones. Member SIPC.

investing in bonds, you should understand the risks involved, including credit risk and market risk. Bond investments

Lila’s Lila’s Lila’sLegacy Legacy Legacy

written by JULIE KOERBER photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

WHEN MINDY BAUSCH sits down at her sewing machine tucked inside a bedroom in the corner of her home, it becomes a sacred space. Each stitch, each inch of lace she uses puts her grief on a new path. She sews to mend her heart and to bring comfort to moms just like her.

Resting up against the bedroom wall is a pile of donated wedding dresses, a pile so tall it nearly touches the ceiling. Sequins and lace peek through the stack. In time, Mindy will deconstruct each dress, using the material to create what she calls “angel gowns.” Each little satin dress for a girl or outfit for a boy is given to a grieving family to use as a burial gown for a child lost during pregnancy.

“It’s helping in a very small way by giving them something for those children to wear,” Mindy says. “It’s having that memory.”

Over the years, Mindy has compiled a list of hospitals capable of delivering babies. When she hop-scotches the state for her kids’ sports or for family trips, she always makes a detour to share her handiwork.

“I think the first time I dropped off gowns and donated them, it felt like a weight was lifted,” Mindy says. “OK, you did something. You did something good.”

Mindy’s own story of loss began in 2010 when she and her husband learned they were pregnant with twins. Halfway through the pregnancy, the water broke on one of the twin’s sacks. Mindy was told, “It could just be a small little hole at the top and it’s leaking. It doesn’t look like it is severe and sometimes with

the amniotic fluid surrounding one twin had drastically declined.

“Originally, doctors told me that I would lose them both,” Mindy says. “They told me, ‘There’s nothing we can do to save them. They are too little.’” She was also told that after her baby died, it usually took about 24 hours for infection to set in. That never happened. While one twin’s heart stopped beating at about 20 weeks, Mindy says, for the other, “My pregnancy just continued. Nothing stopped.”

Layla, now 12, was born healthy and strong. To this day, Mindy believes Lila, the child she lost, moved to the side to let her sister continue to grow.

After the loss of her daughter, Mindy says it took about a year for her to go through the things she’d been given at the hospital.

“I don’t remember anything from the first year of Layla’s life, which is so sad,” Mindy says. “They call that the black year.”

As she shuffled through the papers, she found information on Rainbow Bereavement Support, a parent-to-parent group for those who’ve suffered a pregnancy or infant loss.

“I felt like I had been hit by a train through that release of emotions,” she says after attending her first meeting. But over time, one mother’s words struck her heart.

“Her daughter had problems from the moment she was born. When they got her to the hospital, she had passed away,” Mindy says. Medical workers tried in vain to revive the infant, Mindy says, and “when the mother came into the room, her daughter was laying there naked and all she could think was, ‘She’s cold.’”

Those words stuck with Mindy, and within a year, she decided to drag out her sewing machine to make sure every child loss is covered with love. Mindy knew how to sew a straight line but that was about it. “I don’t even know how to read a pattern,” she says.

So, Mindy created her own patterns and used baby dolls to gauge the size of each project. Many nights, her family would hear the hum of her sewing machine. In time, she’d call her operation “Lila’s Legacy” after the daughter who was taken from her too soon.

“I don’t think people realize that saying your child’s name is like music to your ears,” Mindy says.

She started with blanket wraps and moved on to dresses. Her mom and a few friends donated their wedding gowns so she could use the fabric and embellishments to adorn each outfit. It’s not lost on her that the project joins the best day of one woman’s life with another’s worst day.

As Mindy shares some of her projects, she picks up the photo of a striking gown with navy blue accents that was donated in 2019.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LILA’S LEGACY, VISIT THE FACEBOOK PAGE AT FACEBOOK.COM/

“This particular dress was from a woman who passed away. She had brain cancer. Her husband called three different times and wanted to donate this dress,” Mindy says. “He showed up in the driveway and after he gave me the dress, he just sat in the driveway for a half hour. I just let him be.”

Katherine Walter, a volunteer sewer for Lila’s Legacy, was the woman who ended up turning that dress into 21 outfits for boys along with 14 angel gowns in all sorts of sizes. She also created two memory pillows for the woman’s mother and sister and a tie

for the woman’s father. All were created with love.

“You could feel her there while I was sewing,” Katherine says of the woman who passed away. “You could feel the love she had for her husband and the love she had for her family.”

While Katherine knows her ability to sew is a gift, it was her own pregnancy loss in 2003 that prompted her to volunteer. Fifteen weeks into her pregnancy, her baby’s heart simply stopped. Every dress she creates helps her grieve.

“It’s definitely an emotional thing, sewing for babies who won’t make it in the world. That’s why I only sew in October,” she says, noting that the month honors Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness.

Just last December, Cindy Nordstog took her wedding dress out of the closet. It hadn’t seen the light of day in 27 years. When she heard Mindy was looking for donations, she didn’t hesitate.

“It was very emotional for me,” she says. Cindy lost her daughter, Callie Ann, 38 weeks into her pregnancy. To this day, she remembers her nurse bringing in a handmade angel gown for her to use to clothe her daughter.

“I will never forget the feelings of being so grateful,” she says. “It was such a tragic moment and something so heartbreaking. You can take someone’s kindness like that and make a memory that you can now think of it in a beautiful way.”

She keeps the gown in a memory box with Callie’s handprints and locks of her hair. She has a deep respect for the work Mindy has done for the last decade.

“I always love it when a person can turn a sad situation into something beautiful. To think that she’s taken her own pain and used it to benefit so many people here in our community and really, across Montana,” Cindy says. “You can tell she puts so much love into everything she does.”

For Mindy, the work has soothed some devastating parts of her life.

“It’s like having a stone or pearl that you keep in your pocket,” Mindy says. “The more you touch it, it gets smoother and less jagged over time.” ✻

Haven

Haven HavenCamp Camp Camp

FAMILY WORKS TO GIVE FOSTER KIDS A SUMMER TO REMEMBER

written by CYDNEY HOEFLE

photography

by DANIEL SULLIVAN and contributed by JOHANNA KENNEDY

SUMMER CAMP. Just the words can conjure up images of sunshine, water sports, campfires and friends. For most, it either brings back wonderful memories or anticipation of experiences yet to come.

Yet, there are hundreds of young children in Yellowstone County’s foster care system who have never had the privilege of experiencing summer camp.

That tugs at the heart strings of Billings woman Johanna Kennedy, so much so that she and her husband, Chris, set out to do something about it.

It started more than eight years ago when the couple, parents of four children, were drawn toward a foster children’s camp called Royal Family Kids. They attended a weeklong training and volunteered at a camp. But other priorities in life prevented them from sticking with it at the time. The family was involved at the time in Youth with a Mission (YWAM), a Christian mission group, which took them all over the world.

Homeschooling the children allows for a flexible schedule, and in 2018 the Kennedys embarked on their first YWAM Family Discipleship School in Kona, Hawaii. After three months of intensive training, the family spent two months in the Philippines doing missionary work. It was the first of many trips they took

to countries around the world as they immersed themselves into each country’s culture, sharing their faith at every turn.

THERE ARE OVER 800 CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IN YELLOWSTONE COUNTY

After several years of serving around the globe with YWAM, Covid hit, and the family’s mission trips came to a halt. Like everyone, the Kennedys waited to see what would happen. Their home had always been a revolving door between raising and homeschooling their children, mentoring young women, and taking in young adults, so it was a natural progression for them to apply to be foster parents. It was a surprise though, when just two days after they returned from their last YWAM mission trip, they received a call to foster a newborn baby.

“Someone once said, we wouldn’t know what hospitality meant until we had someone living with us.” Johanna says, speaking about all the young people that have found refuge in their home. An infant, though, took on an entirely new dimension.

“Nine years after our youngest was born, we welcomed another baby into our home,” she says, smiling.

WE WANT IT TO BE A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. WE’RE PROVIDING A SAFE AND FUN PLACE FOR KIDS TO COME AND STEP OUT OF WHATEVER SITUATION THEY LIVE IN FOR A FEW DAYS.

The baby, now 2, is in the process of being adopted by the Kennedys.

After learning about the foster care system, becoming foster parents themselves and taking a hiatus from YWAM, the timing became perfect for Johanna and Chris to pursue their dream of a summer camp for foster children. In 2022, Haven Camp became a reality.

“God has placed a lot of desires on my heart,” she explains, “and helping children has always been at the top.”

With over 800 children in the foster care system in Billings, there’s a large pool of potential campers to pick from. Haven Camp focuses on children ages 7 to 11. Under the ministry of Faith Chapel, the first camp was held last summer at the church’s Camp on the Boulder River, south of Big Timber.

The logistics of what it takes to put on a camp can be daunting, but Johanna says the need was filled last year. She expects the same will hold true this year.

“Our phone began to ring with people wanting to help at camp and financially. It was amazing,” she says.

Determined to keep the camper-to-volunteer ratio to one-on-one, the camp operates with a little more than 100 volunteers to safely run the four-day adventure.

“We want it to be a family atmosphere,” Johanna continues. “We’re providing a safe and fun place for kids to come and step out of whatever situation they live in for a few days.”

— Johanna Kennedy

The Kennedy Family

As last year’s camp unfolded, the team of volunteers watched with excitement as children who arrived scared and unhappy broke into smiles. Laughter was heard across the campus among many who had never enjoyed one-on-one adult time.

“They were able to take a break from hurting and difficult situations and bask in the love and safety of Haven Camp,” Johanna says.

Janet Ross, a licensed clinical social worker and mental health therapist, says that Haven Camp provided the children with the opportunity to experience something “normal.”

“I like to say that camp allowed many of the children to rewrite the script of who they are by feeling special and loved on over the course of the week,” she says.

Janet attended in a therapist role and spent the week interacting with both campers and volunteers.

Wanting the children to experience a family, the adult volunteers, or “Big Campers,” are referred to as aunts and uncles. In addition, four sets of married couples act as “grandparents” for the campers. Volunteers range in age from 17 to 70.

With the ratio of volunteers to campers, there is never a moment when campers are by themselves, and that’s intentional. It’s not only the kids who are impacted by the experience of Haven Camp; the volunteers are as well.

David Moorhead volunteered to be a Big for the week.

“One of the sweetest aspects of the week with my camper, was how he trusted me,” he says. “These kids have a hard time trusting adults, but during the week you get to give them your full attention. It was incredible to see our relationship grow so strong in such a short amount of time.”

For foster mom Ashley Leach, it was an amazing experience for three of her six foster daughters.

“We were all a little anxious,” she says. “We’d not been apart since we had taken them in, and the girls had never attended any kind of camp. Immediately though, I could tell they were well matched with their Bigs.”

Camp was filled with exciting activities each day, and the girls came home with memories to last for years. Amazingly, Haven Camp provided each camper with pillows, quilts, dress-up clothes

Chris and Johanna

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HAVEN CAMP, visit havencampsmt.com

Right now, there are more than 800 foster children living in Yellowstone County and not enough foster and adoptive homes to house them. To learn more about adopting or fostering a child, call Child Bridge at (406) 200-0580 or visit childbridgemontana.org. You can also reach out to Child and Family Services at (406) 657-3120.

from the tea party and a personal photo album.

“It was really touching,” Ashley adds. “Each of my girls has a personalized album of their camp experience that they can treasure forever.”

Reports from foster parents has affirmed to Haven Camp that they are doing something good.

“We trying to do everything we can to meet the kids where they are at,” Johanna continues. “We don’t know what these kids have experienced, but we’re providing an environment where they can feel safe.”

On Haven Camps website it says, “I have become convinced that if God stands a child before you, for even just a minute, it is a divine appointment.”

“We take that seriously,” Johanna says.

“We are all a part of giving back to each child a piece of childhood to hold on to,” Janet adds, “and that feels really good.” ✻

CYDNEY HOEFLE, writer

A fourth generation Montanan, Cydney was raised on a ranch on the banks of the Yellowstone River where an appreciation of the outdoors was fostered. She and her husband raised three children in Billings and are now the proud grandparents of three. The best part of any of her days is time spent with Jesus, family, friends, a good book or capturing someone’s story in words.

Changing the World, OneatChild a Time

BILLINGS NON-PROFIT REACHES AROUND THE WORLD TO HOLD A TINY PIECE OF AFRICA

written by JULIE KOERBER photography by MORGAN DITTO-KIRKWOOD

Tom and Jean

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, on their way back from church, Jean Jacques remembers her husband looking at her and saying, “We need to get involved in something. We need to do something, give back.” Today, she laughs at how those words have stretched them in unimaginable ways. They now wrap their hearts around some of the tiniest residents in a small African village.

Jean has other vivid memories of that day. After church, she and Tom approached a Catholic nun who was known for her infectious enthusiasm — the late Sister Mary Vincentia Maronick, also known as Sister Mary V.

“We just adored her,” Jean says. “We knew she was working with AIDS patients, and we asked, ‘Can we help?’ She started to cry and told us she’d prayed and prayed for help.”

The group AIDSPIRIT USA, was founded in 1994 by the Rev. Tom Beggin, a Catholic priest, to provide outreach to people in our area diagnosed with AIDS. The group helped with meals and with spiritual and emotional support for those battling the disease. By 1999, the AIDS crisis was beginning to fade thanks to new therapies. Beggin knew Brother Bede Baldry who, after spending time in Kenya, relocated to Billings. The two put their heads together and realized that as the HIV crisis in the U.S. was starting to loosen its grip, Africa was a different story.

The undeveloped community of Kayunga, which sits about

an hour and a half from Uganda’s largest city of Kampala, was a hotbed for sickle cell anemia. AIDS was raging there as well, leaving a slew of orphaned children in its wake. The two decided to do something about it.

“There were 19 children that lived in this little two room place with a cement floor. They had little sleeping pads, one light bulb, an outdoor kitchen and bathroom,” Jean says of the orphanage named Tender Mercies that AIDSPIRIT began to fund.

By the time Jean and Tom got interested in 2008, Jean says, “They needed money, and they didn’t know how to get it.” She remembers Tom saying he needed to know more. A mere 34 days after asking how they could help, the couple boarded a series of flights that took them halfway around the world to see firsthand what the Tender Mercies Home was all about.

“I had barely been to Laurel in my life,” Jean says with a laugh. “We literally fell in love with the people and these children.”

Today, 14 trips later, the fingerprints of this couple are all over this project. In 2011, Tom became the director of AIDSPIRIT USA.

“When you give a child hope … it’s astounding what happens,” Tom says.

When they began their journey, the organization had already

THESE PHOTOS LEFT AND RIGHT SHOW WHAT AIDSPIRIT USA'S SICKLE CELL CLINICS CAN DO. THE YOUNG BOY ON THE LEFT WAS VERY SICK AT HIS FIRST CLINIC. TODAY, THAT SAME BOY ON THE RIGHT IS THRIVING UNDER THEIR CARE.

HOPE… IT’S ASTOUNDING WHAT HAPPENS.

— Tom Jacques

TEDDY, A RESIDENT OF TENDER MERCIES, HELPS AN ELDERLY VILLAGER AT ONE OF AIDSPIRIT'S VISION

started raising the funds to build a larger Tender Mercies home on property they acquired. “Now, it’s a beautiful complex,” Jean says, complete with a girls dorm, boys dorm, large dining area, kitchen, library and two administrative offices.

Jean says she’ll never forget walking through the area in those early years and seeing the water that residents turned to for drinking and cooking.

“There were a lot of sick people, a lot of sick children,” she says. “They had waterborne diseases. They were drinking the dirtiest water I’d ever seen in my life. We said we could do something about this.” They raised $10,000 to drill a new well.

“The next year we went and I just stood there and knew we had made a difference,” Jean says. Just one year later, waterborne diseases were down more than 40 percent.

“These people were healthy,” Jean says. “They were looking better. They were collecting pennies to take care of their well and keep it repaired.” Since then, AIDSPIRIT has drilled seven new wells and rehabbed six abandoned wells. “We are providing clean water for well over 100,000 people,” Tom says.

In 2015, a new face came into the organization. As the former executive director of the Yellowstone AIDS Project, Morgan Ditto-Kirkwood knew a thing or two about the disease and always had a passion for helping the underserved.

“Jean and Tom kept saying, ‘You need to come see what we are doing in Africa,’” Morgan says. After being asked to be the organization’s secretary, she joined the volunteer group. A year later, she made the trek to Kayunga herself. As a self-described tech geek, Morgan found her niche within the organization.

“The first time I went in 2016, I built a program for them to start doing accounting in a way that better matched ours to help with the transparency between the two organizations,” she says. “I spent a lot of time in front of the computer hoping the internet would work, praying the electricity was going to stay on that day.”

On a trip in 2019, she struck up a friendship with one of the home’s very first residents. Nyanzi Misi was a young man who’d spent most of his life at Tender Mercies. Not only had he graduated from college, he was working at a local TV station in Kampala.

“It’s amazing to hear him speak of what his childhood was like. I’ve only seen him

Dumas

get emotional about it once and it was when he graduated in 2019,” Morgan says. “He knew his whole life was going to be different.”

When Morgan returned in January of 2023, she and Nyanzi teamed up to videotape all the children sponsored by AIDSPIRIT. The goal was to share those videos with their 76 sponsors back home.

“He and I have this — I can’t even describe it — this bond. It started out as mentorship but now I am an only child who has an African brother,” Morgan says. “That is my little big brother who lives a million miles away. He’s smarter than anyone I’ve ever met and wiser than you can imagine at the age of 26. There’s something about the hardship that they’ve gone through and the wisdom that comes from that.”

Aside making sure all the children are fed and educated, the nonprofit has reached out into the community to offer sickle cell anemia clinics. Sickle cell is a disease that affects the shape of red blood cells. The misshapen cells easily

die, preventing them from their role of carrying oxygen to all parts of the body.

“We have a wonderful doctor who comes from Kampala with his team of people and we get all the sickle cell kids, we bus them in,” Jean says. “They now know how to control their disease. It won’t cure it but with good clean water and a lot of folic acid — they’re getting better.”

Thanks to funds from the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, the Jacques say they are providing sickle cell care and medicine to well over 1,000 children on an ongoing basis. Without it, Morgan says, most wouldn’t live past the age of 20.

At the Tender Mercies home itself, the organization has touched the lives of more than 100 children. Some have stayed most of their lives, others maybe days until they could be reunited with family.

“The children either lost their parents to an illness or some of them had HIV affected parents,” Morgan says. “Some had been abused and removed by the police and some were just found and we don’t know their back story.”

At the helm, Charles Walakira and his wife Jackie are the children’s caregivers. They have a cook, a social worker, an administrative assistant and a nurse on the property to help them care of the

AIDSPIRIT VOLUNTEERS DURING THEIR 2023 VISIT

Jeanand Morgan

children.

Over the years, AIDSPIRIT has built relationships with not only the state’s Kiwanis groups but their high school key clubs as well. Aside from personal sponsors for each child, Kiwanis has helped raise a good chunk of the AIDSPIRIT budget. Since both Jean, 79, and Tom, 71, know they can’t be at the helm of fundraising forever, they’re developing a new way to grow revenue, with a permaculture farm. There are seven plots adjacent to the Tender Mercies Home and the Jacques have big plans for it.

“It’s a farm where everything is interwoven,” Jean says. “From cow manure they turn it into methane gas for cooking and hydroponics to grow tomatoes, we’re going to start this farm. We are going to have cows with milk that we can sell and use to feed our children, chickens, ducks, rabbits, crops. We are so excited. We finally have a plan to become sustainable so if we weren’t there, they’d be fine.”

Three of Tender Mercies’ children are currently enrolled in the MST Junior Academy in Entebbe, two hours away, where they’re learning the ins and outs of permaculture farming.

“Oh, they are learning so much. They are learning time management, money management, the things that Uganda doesn’t have,” Jean says. “It’s going to make a difference. They are going to be our guides.”

The Jacques are hoping that with the help of the farm, they’ll be able to raise anywhere from $30,000 to $45,000 in revenue to help support Tender Mercies.

The success stories here are astounding. So many nameless children that were brought here ended up not only with names but, as Jean says, futures. There’s Joseph Mary Moses who, at 3, was left to die at the bottom of a pit latrine.

“Now,” Morgan says, “he’s a teenager and he’s in seminary school and he wants to be a priest.” Gertrude, who is blind and thought she’d never attend school, is learning Braille. Rachel, who was abandoned here at 4, is now 17 and loves caring for her younger “brothers and sisters” at the orphanage.

“Let me tell you about Dumba,” Jean says. “He’s one of our first children. He’s this adorable little boy who loved cameras. He would walk along with us and have 15 cameras hanging off of him. We’d walk and he’d use our cameras take photos.” A few years back, Jean says, “He said, ‘Mama Jean, I have decided I want to be a lawyer.’” When Jean asked why, he simply said, “I know I can make a difference.”

Today, Dumba is 25. He’s now a lawyer. “He’s an incredibly kind and good young man who is now coming back to Tender Mercies to take care of all the legal things we need to have done.”

As Jean shares his story, she reflects on how imperative education is in the caregiving puzzle. “It’s absolutely everything to us — that these children walk away with a future. Otherwise, we’ve just fed them and kept them warm,” she says.

To date, nearly 20 of the Tender Mercies children have graduated

from college or a vocational-technical school.

On any given week, Tom, Jean and the organization’s treasurer, Maribeth Habeck, will put in 30 hours of volunteer work, just to keep Tender Mercies afloat. They, along with Morgan and a multitude of other volunteers, know the work is changing lives a half world away. They also know it’s done a lot to change their own hearts.

“This is quite the project that we’ve gotten ourselves into,” Tom says with a laugh. “This has made me a better person, a stronger woman,” Jean says. She adds. “I don’t have to have a college degree to change the world. I didn’t know that.”

“As much as I know it has changed them. It’s changed me,” Morgan says. “I will be forever grateful that these children have let me into their world.”

“We’ve given our hearts,” Jean says, “There’s no doubt about it.” ✻

Helping PROVIDE Tender Mercies

It takes about $70,000 to $100,000 annually to help run the Tender Mercies Home.

Right now, the home cares for 66 children both on the property and for those who are off attending school. Of those, five children still need sponsors.

Sponsors help provide an education to the children which can range from $750 for primary school all the way up to $2,500 for college each year.

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT aidspiritusa.org

Jane Doe

written by SUE OLP photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

JULIA LILLETHUN AND KRISTI BICE both went on journeys not of their own choosing, one a victim of a brutal rape and the other, of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather.

There were times in the aftermath, Julia remembers, when just putting one foot in front of the other was difficult.

“I think I was so lost in the darkness of it all that I kept forgetting to look for the light,” she says.

“There’s so much guilt and shame put upon survivors of sexual abuse,” Kristi says, “That’s why so many of them don’t come forward. That’s part of why I didn’t for so many years.”

Though Kristi’s abuse began in the late 1980s, and Julia’s attack took place toward the end of the next decade, it’s only been in the last few years that the two Billings women have been willing to share their stories and their identities, in the hope of helping others who have gone through the same thing.

“I decided I need to publicly let people know what happened to me when I was a child so that others would know they’re not alone, that it’s OK to talk about it, that there’s nothing wrong with them and it’s not their fault,” Kristi says.

Today both women have joined in the effort to introduce Montanans to Jane Doe No More, a national organization geared toward empowering survivors of sexual crimes to speak up, advance their healing and educate others.

“Some days it’s ugly and hard as heck, but if you put in that time and invest in yourself, it’s worth it,” Julia adds. “It’s a long journey, but you can make it through to the other side.”

THE MYSTERY UNRAVELS

Julia, 58, is a mother of two and grandmother of five. She worked

for over a decade as the assistant county superintendent for Yellowstone County. For more than two decades, she headed up the county spelling bee.

What most people don’t know is that on Sept. 5, 1998, Julia, then 33, was savagely attacked while out delivering newspapers.

On that early morning, Julia walked toward the corner of Broadwater and 24th Street West, expecting to catch a ride from her boyfriend. She heard footsteps, but thought it was one of the joggers she’d seen earlier. Instead, Zachary David O’Neill came up from behind and hit her, knocking the wind out of her.

“Then he put me in a choke hold and told me he had a knife,” she says. “I fought him all the way back and drug my feet as he dragged me between two buildings.”

The fight winded O’Neill, and Julia used that moment to tell the man she was a single mom, that she had cancer and was undergoing radiation treatments. She warned him she was

Julia Lillethun

FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES, JULIA DIDN’T KNOW THE NAME OF HER ATTACKER.

ZACHARY O'NEILL CONFESSED TO POLICE IN 2017 AND THE MYSTERY UNRAVELED. O’NEILL WAS THE SAME MAN WHO, TWO MONTHS AFTER JULIA’S ATTACK, MURDERED 18-YEAR-OLD MIRANDA FENNER WHILE SHE WAS WORKING AT A LAUREL VIDEO STORE.

radioactive. That didn’t faze him, she remembers. To distract him, she asked if he had a condom. When O’Neill laid down his knife to fish one out of his pocket, she tried to grab the knife, to toss it over a nearby fence. That enraged the man, who then proceeded to rape her.

Afterward, O’Neill grabbed his knife and started stabbing both sides of her neck, her face and her hands as she fended him off. He missed her carotid arteries, jugular veins and her esophagus just barely, but caused permanent damage to the nerves in her right arm.

Covered in blood, Julia slumped to the ground and pretended to be dead until O’Neill fled the scene. Discovered by passersby, Julia was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery to stitch up her wounds. It was the emotional wounds, however, that would haunt her long after her body healed.

“The trauma is forever a part of you,” she says. “It’s not a light switch. You don’t turn it on and off.”

“The people around you can only hear it so many times – they’re secondary victims, the trauma is as real for them,” Julia says. “But I just felt alone, like there was nobody that got it, that understood.”

HEALING CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

Kristi, 43, says her sexual abuse began in 1989. Her parents divorced when she was 9, and her mother, 38, began dating a 24-year-old man. At first, Kristi liked him, then things changed, when he started doing things and telling her how pretty she was.

THEY DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE. THEY CAN COME OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND FIND THEIR VOICE.

—Julia Lillethun, sexual assault survivor

For nearly two decades, Julia didn’t know the name of her attacker. O’Neill confessed to police in 2017 and the mystery unraveled. O’Neill was the same man who, two months after Julia’s attack, murdered 18-year-old Miranda Fenner while she was working at a Laurel video store.

O’Neill is now serving a life sentence.

As time went by, Julia attempted to get back into the flow of her life, caring for her kids and focusing on her job. She was grateful for support she got from family and friends, but after a couple of months, some people urged her to forget what had happened and move on.

At 10, she told a school counselor that her then stepfather was making her feel uncomfortable. After a social worker called her mother and stepdad, her stepfather convinced everyone it was all a big misunderstanding.

That’s when, Kristi says, words escalated into the sexual abuse that continued until she was 13, mostly when her mother was at work. She saw little point telling anyone. They didn’t believe her before.

“And, also, I was afraid,” Kristi says. “He would flip knives in the air and clean guns in front of me in a menacing way. It wasn’t just ‘I’m going to clean my gun right now.’ It was obvious that it was directed at me.”

In eighth grade, Kristi confided in a friend, and her friend alerted a school counselor. This time, the counselor believed her. Her mother and stepfather fled with their 8-month-old daughter to another state. Kristi lived with a foster family until she could be reunited with her father in Billings.

ZACHARY DAVID O’NEILL

She decided to file charges, even though she heard from the county attorney’s office that it wouldn’t be easy, and it would be her stepfather’s word against hers.

“I said ‘I don’t care,’” she says. “Even if he gets acquitted, at least I’ll know I tried.”

Two days before his trial got underway in Bozeman, her stepfather admitted his guilt.

“We switched from having to go to trial to a sentencing hearing,” says Kristi, who by then was living with her father. “But my mom was still defending him after he confessed to everything.”

He was sentenced to a maximum of 25 years, with parole possible after 15 years. Kristi tried to move on, but found it difficult.

“Most of the time, I did a lot of not dealing with it,” she says. “I didn’t talk to many people about it because I didn’t want the looks and people talking about me, saying, ‘You poor thing.’ I don’t want your pity; I want you to understand. So, I just stopped talking about it for a long time.”

When Kristi was 23, she decided she was ready to face her abuser, and arranged to visit him at Montana State Prison. Her initial reaction when he entered the visitors’ center was that he was “a sad, pathetic human being just shuffling into the room.”

“All I could think was, ‘Why have I been so afraid of this guy for so long?’” she says.

She told him that although he tried to beat her down to keep her from standing up to him, it didn’t work. He was in prison and she was doing what she needed to survive.

“It felt like a boulder had been lifted off my chest,” she says, “knowing that I got to walk out of that prison and he had to stay because that is where he belonged.”

In 2018, Kristi read news accounts about a lawsuit filed against a

former high school athletic trainer in Miles City. His sexual abuse of young athletes, which had occurred years before, had only just come to light.

“I thought to myself, if even one person had made it OK for one of these boys to say something, how much of this could have been prevented?” she says. “Somebody needs to do something about this. And that’s when it occurred to me, oh my God, I am somebody.”

Kristi decided to share her story so others would know it’s OK to talk about it. She made a public eight-minute Facebook Live video

Kristi Bice

so anyone could watch. She was nervous about the feedback but when comments rolled in, they were all supportive.

When Kristi saw a Billings Gazette Facebook post about the Miles City case, she added a comment about her own experiences. Miles City Attorney Daniel Rice, who filed a lawsuit against the trainer on behalf of the students, replied.

Rice thanked Kristi for her bravery in sharing her story and then told her he was part of an effort to get Montana state law changed to remove the statute of limitations for criminal child sexual abuse cases. He asked if she’d be willing to testify in favor of the bill if it made it to a legislative hearing. Much to her surprise, she said yes.

“I’ve gone from my first public speaking about this to, OK, let’s talk in front of the Legislature,” Kristi laughs. “Go big or go home, I guess.”

Kristi testified at hearings in both the House and the Senate, and once the bill passed, she was invited to attend the ceremony where then-Gov. Steve Bullock signed it into law. She was given the pen he used, which now sits on her desk at work.

— Julia Lillethun

Department of Corrections’ Victim Impact Panel, where she met Julia, and now Jane Doe No More.

FINDING THEIR VOICES

For the past 19 months, Julia has shared her journey face to face with convicted adult offenders through the Victim Impact Panel. The panel lets victims tell their stories to inmates, to help them understand how their crimes devastate victims and their families. It’s given her the chance to finally speak up.

HOW TO LEARN MORE OR GET INVOLVED

If you’d like to learn more and connect with Jane Doe No More Montana, you can visit janedoenomore.org, or email Barb Jenkins at barb@janedoenomore or call her at 406-240-9648.

“Never in my life did I imagine starting that Facebook video would lead me to that,” she says.

This past legislative session, Kristi joined forces again with Rice and state Sen. Shane Morigeau on getting a similar bill passed pertaining to the statute of limitations for civil suits linked to sexual abuse. That work led her to be involved with the Montana

In November 2022, she was part of a panel at the Montana State Prison, where O’Neill is housed (the Department of Corrections makes sure no victim ever encounters their offender). Julia grew emotional as she talked about what happened. In a debrief afterward, she learned that there wasn’t a dry eye among the inmates who listened to her story.

“It was liberating for me to know that my story had such an impact,” Julia says.

Likewise, giving the talks has had an impact on Julia. Victim Program Manager Jamie Rogers told Julia that over time, she has watched her transform.

“She had seen someone who was so broken and just slouched over and had given up,” Julia says. “And she said, ‘I’ve seen you pick yourself up and stand straight and I’ve seen your determination and your strength and your powerful story, and the lives that are changing.’ And that meant the world to me.”

THE TRAUMA IS FOREVER A PART OF YOU. IT’S NOT A LIGHT SWITCH. YOU DON’T TURN IT ON AND OFF.

That’s exactly what these two women hope happens with the start of Jane Doe No More in Montana. Both were introduced to the organization by Barb Jenkins, a Montana author and survivor of sexual abuse, who brought the Connecticut-based nonprofit to Montana. Kristi and Julia went through training in January and plan to join Barb in spreading the word.

Barb has given talks through the “Safe Student Initiative,” which provides education for students from middle school through college on sexual respect, healthy relationships, consent, digital danger and rape culture.

“Duty Trumps Doubt,” a training program for law enforcement, firstresponders, healthcare and legal professionals, is close to Julia’s heart. Its purpose is to help individuals better understand victims of sexual crimes and prevent revictimization.

Julia recalls overhearing two police officers talking, after they had interviewed her about the rape. One asked the other what he thought.

“He said, ‘Well, her affect is flat and she’s not acting like someone who’s been through something so traumatic,’”

Julia says, her voice rising in anger.

“And I thought, what the — is there a handbook on how we’re supposed to act? I was in shock. That’s just more trauma upon trauma.”

She hopes “Duty Trumps Doubt” will inject more empathy into the conversation.

Another goal is to introduce “Survivors Speak,” which, with training, empowers survivors to share their stories while educating audiences. The hope, says Julia, is to help others do what she and Kristi have begun, to find their voices.

“I just feel this is so important, that people know they can come out of the darkness and not have to fight this alone.” ✻

SUE OLP, writer

Sue Olp worked for many years as a reporter at the Billings Gazette, covering everything from healthcare and education to county government, tribal issues and religion, not to mention plenty of humaninterest stories. Now retired, she is a freelance writer and enjoys gardening, reading and spending time with her family, including her grandchildren.

Artistic Expression

PAM HEINE BRINGS A NEW STYLE WITH THE WHITE FEATHER BOUTIQUE

written by STELLA FONG photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

ENTERPRISING

AT THE WHITE FEATHER BOUTIQUE, Pam Heine helps individual expression take flight. At the intimate shop located along an industrial section of Moore Lane, she loves the one-on-one service, helping customers pick outfits to fit their own unique style, whether it’s urban cowgirl, rustic, vintage or rocker. She’s got it all.

When you step through the door, Pam says, she hopes “it brings a little spark to everyone who comes in to maybe step out of their comfort zone.” She adds, “Everyone deserves to feel good, maybe even a little sassy in what they wear.”

On this day, she stands in the 600-square-foot boutique space wearing black fishnet stockings and tall, black, laced boots. A ripped jean jacket drapes over a T-shirt dress emblazoned with the words “Wildest Troublemaker,” while a rose gold wig styled in a long wedge covers her short black hair. Underneath it all, from the top of her left arm down the side of her left leg, a tattooed trellis of flowers cascades down towards her ankle.

At 52, even with countless accomplishments, she says still feels like “a late bloomer in getting comfortable with myself.”

If you look to Pam’s own style and spirit, it mirrors that of a graphic novel super heroine. Over the years, she’s had her share of battles and victories that have strengthened her. On any given day, she might help people get their health on track at her gym, Plaza Fitness, located next door to the boutique. Other days, you might find her bringing strength and care to loved ones in failing health.

Growing up in Laurel, she found independence at an early age. With

parents who worked full time, she admits to being rebellious, “pushing me to be my own person.”

Art classes resonated with her in high school. “I am a visual learner. I am horrible with numbers,” she says. “I like being expressive and creative.” At that time, though, expressing herself came by way of alcohol and drugs.

After high school, a nanny job in Maryland provided a quick escape. After that short stint, she found herself at the mall one day approaching recruiters and joining the Air Force. She says her military experience was “delayed because I was so overweight.” After getting in better shape, she was off to San Antonio, Texas, for basic training. Although the time was difficult, she managed to pass with one infraction, getting in trouble for wearing makeup.

Life ultimately led her back to Laurel. “I bar-tended up until I got pregnant,” she says of working at the Palace Bar and Lanes.

“I thought I never wanted kids until I felt the baby kick. It was instant love,” she says, tearing up. “I was surprised of loving something so much.” She eventually married her child’s father, moved to Arizona and become pregnant again, giving a brother, Zach, to her eldest son, Connor.

Her second pregnancy required bed rest for the last three months. “My mom is an amazing grandma. She dropped everything and took three months off from work and took care of Connor.”

Eventually, the failed marriage brought her back to Laurel.

“As a single mom, I moved back to Laurel and got sober,” she says. She says having her sons made her realize that she needed a fresh start. She went to cosmetology school for nails and worked here for several years before moving to Las Vegas and then Malta after marrying again. In Malta, she found change.

I THINK WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS AND EXPRESSING YOURSELF THROUGH YOUR OWN STYLE IS IMPORTANT. IT’S EASY TO FOLLOW THE CROWD, HERE IT’S EASY TO BLAZE YOUR OWN TRAIL.

— Pam Heine

54% 54%

increase in increase in youth served youth served in 1 year in 1 year

Tumbleweed provides safety, assistance and hope to our community's vulnerable and homeless youth.

Creating lasting life changes

How Your Gift Helps Our Youth & Young Adults:

$50 Transportation to work or school

$100 For one unhoused youth: life skills classes, personal care/hygiene

$650 One month's rent for a youth

$250 Access to a crisis counselor 27/7 or food for a month

$1,000 One month's rent, groceries, and utilities for a youth; or housing applications & deposit, bed, & linens

Support a youth today by going to www.tumbleweedprogram.org

“I started caring about the way I looked. I cared about what I was putting into my body,” she says. She quit her 16-year habit of smoking and started walking and lifting weights. She renewed her expired emergency medical technician certification she obtained before children and began caring for people.

Along the way, Pam became enamored with fashion. While working at a clothing store, the owner would take her along on trips to the market in Las Vegas. “I started to get into fashion when I was 32,” she says. After “six winters” in Malta, she made the move back to Laurel with her sons’ stepfather. After the marriage broke up, her attention turned to weight training. She eventually landed at Plaza Fitness in January 2007 to work out with personal trainer Sean McDaniel.

“She had a hard edge to her,” Sean says. “You could tell she wasn’t

comfortable letting people inside her ethereal wall of protection.”

When training for her first body building competition, “I got roped into doing Mrs. Montana pageant. I was nominated for Mrs. Laurel so switched up my training,” she says. Her hard work earned her runner-up status, and she won “Best in Swimsuit.”

“This was when I started my love of being on stage. I can walk on stage and pretend to be whatever I wanted to be,” she says, confessing to be introverted.

The surge in confidence would lead her to train for figure competitions in the natural bodybuilding circuit, where the use of performance enhancing drugs is prohibited. She ate clean and eventually won two events in 2011, which landed her in international competition. At the International Natural Bodybuilding Association and Figure Competition, she took first place in the Figure Masters category aimed at those over 40.

During that time, she married businessman Dave Heine, owner of Plaza Fitness and the surrounding complex. A few years later, he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma cancer. For four years, the couple traveled to the Cancer Treatments Center of America in Arizona for chemotherapy. Eventually, when he could no longer make the trip, they stayed in Arizona and Pam became his caretaker.

“I always have been the type of person that in a situation will do whatever needs to be done and cry later,” she says.

When he was sickest, she says, “I would lay in bed with him all day.” They talked about death and heaven, and although he didn’t believe in heaven, she asked him to be her guardian angel and he agreed.

After he died in the summer of 2016, while sitting in their home, a white feather dropped on the couch where Dave used to sit. On a night after she wrote a letter expressing her sorrow for his absence, she threw up the covers in her bed the next morning and says, “There was a white feather.”

She’d find another on the sidewalk in front of the boutique before she officially opened her shop. “I knew Dave always kept his promises,” she says. Naming her business the White Feather Boutique was only natural.

“Loving him was the best time in my life,” she says. “I knew our time was limited. I memorized his arms and hands, everything about him. We should do this with everyone.”

“Over the last 15 years, I have watched her spirit open up, even blossom,” Sean says. “I have watched her soul grow. The quality of her character has deepened immeasurably. She became less about herself and more about caring for others — especially Dave. I watched her give him end-of-life love that could come from only the deepest of souls.”

Recently she reconnected with her father, who had been absent much of her life. “Getting to know my dad has been the best gift,” she says, and now, as he recovers from heart surgery, Pam is by his side.

Her compassion extends to two dogs, both rescue greyhounds named Bella and Edward. They go with her everywhere, and in the back of the store, she built them a large enclosure that she fondly calls their “apartment.”

After her husband’s death, members feared Plaza Fitness would close. “Half the battle is showing up,” she says. Pam came back to resume her job overseeing the gym’s operation. During the Covid shutdown, she refreshed the gym.

“I wanted to get away from Plaza being just a big steroid gym. I didn’t want to be an exclusive gym. I want people to come in here to meet whatever health goals they have,” she says.

As the gym works to build health, at The White Feather, Pam hopes to help build confidence.

“Here, you can create your own unique style,” customer Trisha Kalfells says. “You don’t find the T-shirt everyone else is wearing in town.”

“I think we are all individuals and expressing yourself through your own style is important. It’s easy to follow the crowd, here it’s easy to blaze your own trail,” Pam says.

These days, Pam finally admits to being comfortable in her skin.

“I love being older and realizing what’s important in life — letting go of things that no longer serve me to make room for even more positivity in my life.” ✻

131 Moore Lane Suite C, online at thewhitefeatherboutiquemt.com, or follow the shop on Facebook or TikTok.

STELLA FONG, writer Stella divides her time between Billings and Seattle and is the author of two Billings-centric books, Historic Restaurants of Billings and Billings Food. Her writings have appeared in Big Sky Journal, Western Art and Architecture, the Washington Post as well as online at lastbestplates.com.

written by VICKI-LYNN TERPSTRA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

Viva

WE’RE SUMMER LOVIN’ PANTONE’S COLOR OF THE YEAR

Viva Viva Magenta! Magenta! Magenta!

Beauty & the Bead

Decadent beaded jewelry will rival the dainty gold jewelry this coming season. Reach for these bold earrings to give your spring and summer wardrobe an instant spruce up. Feel free to mix and match colors to evoke that joy that the sunnier summer season brings.

Get the Look

Ink +Alloy earrings range from $25- $40 at The Joy of Living.

FASHION

WHEN PANTONE announced its color of the year, this bold choice “expressed a new signal of strength” and called for “joyous and optimistic celebration.” Each year, fashion, makeup, home décor and marketing often take their cues from Pantone, picking up their annual color and using it to influence design. This year — even with such a stand-out color — is no exception. ✻

These Boots are Made for Walking

Cowgirl boots are trending all over TikTok right now, with the most popular look being the “coastal cowgirl,” where boots are paired with flowing whimsical fabrics. That’s good news for Montanans since a fashion staple is now more mainstream. To add to the trend, we found these Ariat boots with a pop of 2023’s power color. Not only do these kicks add splashes of dyed leather, the colorful stitching adds pizazz to this traditional squaretoed boot.

Get the Look

Ariat Worn Mocha/Raspberry Round Up Back Zip Boot $189.95 at Shipton’s Big R.

VIVA PantoneMAGENTA Color of the Year 2023

Marvelous in Marble

Polka dots, sure. Stripes, of course. But, if you want to really look and feel trendy try a geode-inspired marble pattern to add a punch. Of course, it adds bang to your buck when it highlights this year’s color of the year- Viva Magenta. This billowy bomber jacket is perfect for spring and can carry you through the cool nights in summer.

Get the Look

Love Token bomber jacket, $119 at The RocHouse.

Nailed It

Lip Service

We approve of the bold lip and bright blush makeup looks these days and Viva Magenta can certainly slide into this trend. This power color is a call for attention, so rock this lip shade with confidence and joy. The beauty of a creamy makeup is that you can always add more dimension and pigment in layers.

Get the Look

Huda Beauty Blush Stick in Baddie Berry, $25; Lip oil in Raspberry, $6; Liquid Lipstick in Orchid, $7.50. All from Sephora

Shine Bright Like a Garnet

In the ancient Roman era, garnet jewelry was favored by the wealthy and noble. Ancient Egyptians referred to the stone as the symbol of life. While jewelry trends shift from season to season, these fine gemstone bracelets are timeless beauties. Reasonably priced yet elegant through and through, garnets shine bright in 2023.

Get the Look

Garnet bracelets from Riddle’s Jewelry ranging in price from $185 to $356.

TERPSTRA, writer

nearly a decade long career in retail, Vicki-Lynn has cultivated a true passion for fashion. Even though her day job involves event planning and social media for the largest insurance agency in the Northwest, she uses her style and industry know-how to help keep women in the Yellowstone Valley looking their best.

GIVE THE GIFT THAT ALL WOMEN LOVE....BOTOX!

Get rid of those lines and wrinkles for Mother’s Day! Evin Aesthetics is offering 40 units of Botox for $360. Let Evin Aesthetics pamper your mother for Mother’s Day. Stop in at 1690 Rimrock Road Suite G, call (406) 534-3299 or visit them online at evinaesthetics.com

MOMS DESERVES A NEW PAIR OF CHACOS

...to enjoy our fun mountain summers of water, wildflowers and sunshine. Visit Sylvan Peak Mountain Shop in downtown Red Lodge at 9 South Broadway. (406) 446-1770. Open everyday! www.sylvanpeak.com.

SUPER-COMFY. ULTRA-CUSHY.

Mom will feel like she’s walking on air in a pair of Ariat Hilo shoes. These notie, ultra cushy and lightweight shoes come in a variety of patterns available at Shipton’s Big R. They’ll make Mom’s day and every day a bit more special and she’ll think of you each time she slips them on. Get a pair or two today at Shipton’s Big R. Located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd. and 1908 Main St. in Billings. A great buy at $59.95.

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO

Shop Local

BRUNCH IS FOR EVERYONE, TREAT HER TO TIME FOR HERSELF!

PHOTO BY DREW MEYER

PAMPER HER WITH FLOWERS

Send mom a beautiful hanging garden or patio planter from Gainan’s Each one is planted with a unique selection of compatible annuals in mixed complementary colors.

FEEL AMAZING

And look even better with Jazzercise Billings. Are you ready for the ultimate confidence infusion? Channel your inner pop diva in the original dance party workout. Blending dance with Pilates, yoga, kickboxing and strength training, one 55-minute session can burn up to 800 calories. The results? Long, lean muscles and an undeniable mood boost. We welcome all fitness levels and offer 20 classes a week to fit your schedule. Jazzercise Billings, conveniently located at 1313 Grand Avenue Suite 11, start your fitness journey today! (406) 860-5105.

WHAT DOES MOM REALLY NEED? ENERGY!

Give her the gift of relaxation, health, and wellness. IV Nutrition, new in Billings, is a uniquely safe and powerful IV therapy helping to heal and regenerate the body with potent blends of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids providing support and self-healing. Our medically trained staff provide complimentary consultations to allow them to align our services with what the body needs. Stop by and purchase a gift card at IV Nutrition today! (406) 206-3550, 1423 38th St. W., Ste. 2 (Located behind Mazevo Coffee and Cork and Barrel) To learn more visit IVNutrition.com.

INTRODUCING LE CREUSET SHALLOT

...a soft yet edgy neutral - a nontraditional take on a classic. Available in multiple sizes and specialty shapes, this limited edition color speaks to the modern chef. Whether this is Mom’s first piece of classic French cookware or an addition to her collection, she’ll love the versatility, performance and style of these unparalleled pots. Le Creuset 2.75 QT Dutch Oven ON SALE for $179.95 Regularly $289.95. Get yours today at Zest. Located at 110 N. 29th St, Billings or online at zestbillings.com

MOMS DESERVE THE BEST!

Brockel’s Chocolates Fancy Deluxe Assorted chocolates are handmade from scratch in our downtown store. The box includes our signature milk and dark chocolate covered caramels, nuts and old fashioned cream centers. Prices and sizes vary. Located at 117 N. 29th St, Billings. (406) 248-2705.

FOR THE BIRD LOVER IN YOUR LIFE.

Attach to a window and watch your feathered friends up close. $ 29.95. Get yours at The Joy of Living, 1524 24th St. West. (406) 294-1701.

MAKE TODAY RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME!

That is the motto of Neecee’s new exclusive line of handbags, crossbodies, wallets and more from Consuela. Because it’s not about the bag, it’s where you take it. Get yours today at 1008 Shiloh Crossing Blvd. Suite 2, Billings. (406) 294-2014.

SUPPORT BUSINESS Local

THE PERFECT MOTHER’S DAY GIFT

This Mother’s Day treat mom to an experience she’ll remember with a facial from Element Skin Therapy. Voted Billings Best Esthetician and Day Spa, Element Skin Therapy has beautiful gift certificates to make pampering mom easy! Customizable for any amount because facials are always better than flowers. Located at 411 24th St. W. Ste. 113, Billings, (406) 208-7822.

LET MOM KEEP HER COOL THIS SUMMER

...in a high-quality Carhartt shortsleeve T-shirt. This pocket tee gives her a classic look in whatever color she prefers. Choose her perfect color and wrap it up for Mother’s Day. Tees are priced at a low $19.99 and available at Shipton’s Big R. Located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd. and 1908 Main St. in Billings.

SOMETHING SO SPECIAL FOR THE NEW MOTHER IN YOUR LIFE!

We have “Momma” & “Mama” in 24k gold plated necklaces. $62. Get yours The Joy of Living, 1524 24th St. West,. (406)-294-1701.

SOMETHING NEW FOR YOUR SENSES!

Give the gift of the new “Olive” scent, a clean and soothing calm for body and home! Mom will LOVE IT! Pick yours up at Davidson Home Furnishings & Design , 2228 Grand Avenue in Billings. (406) 6569540.

MOM WILL LOVE THIS

Get your busy mom the cutest backpack to carry everything she needs! ORI USA Inc offers assorted sizes and colors to please any palette. Prices from $64.95 to $104.95. Get yours at The Joy of Living located at 1524 24th St. West. (406) 294-1701.

LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT MOTHER’S DAY GIFT?

Huntley’s R&R Trading is a unique boutique with antiques and gifts. Filled with the newest in quality ladies clothing, jewelry and accessories, we have up to date looks at a reasonable price. We also have antiques, interesting and unusual gifts, the latest in home décor and western items. We have an extensive estate jewelry and antique furniture collection. Our selections may come from estates, auctions, local folks or from well-known giftware providers, far-off markets and Montana’s cottage industries. Take your time and browse our lovely selection, handpicked just for you. Located at 113 Northern Ave. in Huntley. (406)-348-2649.

Eagles are sparkly, shiny, and new priced around $45. Secure one or more for Mom today at Grizzly Gold & Silver, 2450 King Ave. W. or call us at (406) 702-1516 or log onto www.grizzlygoldandsilver.com.

KEEP THE COFFEE HOT FOR MOM

...with a stainless steel YETI tumbler. Mom enjoys coffee on-the-go so surprise her with this beautiful desert clay tumbler from Shipton’s Big R Located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd. and 1908 Main St. in Billings.

STEP OUT IN STYLE

Dad can step out in style in Ariat’s comfort-driven Clean Country shoes. He’ll look sharp and walk with comfort on eco-friendly soles. It’s a gift for dad that truly says, “Happy Father’s Day.” Priced at $109.95 at Shipton’s Big R Located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd. and 1908 Main St. in Billings.

ROMANTIC GETAWAY

Treat your loved one to a luxurious escape in Red Lodge, Montana. Marvel in the historic charm of The Pollard –your home away from home– while exploring the unique shops and take advantage of the outdoor activities nearby. Delight in a dining experience at Marli’s, the newly redesigned inhouse restaurant! Visit thepollardhotel.com to book your stay.

THE GIFT CARD WORTH YOUR MONEY

MARS of Billings gift cards are the PERFECT GIFT no matter what time of year it is. Gift cards can be purchased for just about any amount making them the ideal gift for Mother’s and Fathers’ Day. Gift cards are redeemable for any product or service MARS has to offer, including vehicle detailing, window tinting, spray-in bedliners and of course our extensive inventory of car and truck accessories. Located at 2904 Gabel Road. Schedule by phone (406) 591-3888 or visit marsofbillings.com

COMMEMORATE DAD’S SPECIAL DAY

...with a brilliant uncirculated Silver Eagle. These collectable bullion coins are made in the U.S.A. of .999 fine silver. Select a holder like this detailed fish design to highlight a Happy Father’s Day for the man, dad, brother, uncle, or best friend in your life. It’s worth its weight in silver! Buy today at Grizzly Gold & Silver located at 2450 King Ave. W. or call us at (406) 702-1516. www.grizzlygoldandsilver.com.

STACK ‘EM UP!

It’s Carhartt’s best-selling T-shirt making it the ultimate gift for dad this year. The original work shirt with rib-knit crew neck feels good and looks good. It’s 80 percent cotton and it’s ready to go at Shipton’s Big R for only $19.99. Located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd. and 1908 Main St. in Billings.

JUST WHAT THEY WANTED

With a gift card to Northland Automotive, mothers and fathers are sure to be very happy this year! From protective floor liners, chrome and stainless accessories, running boards, toolboxes and grill guards, to truck bed covers, spray in bedliners, and window tinting, towing hitches and much, much more! We sell and install all of the trusted brands and have 140 years of combined industry knowledge. Northland Automotive, where they sell everything but the Truck. 1106 S 29th St W, (406) 245-0595, www.northlandautomotive.com

CELEBRATE DAD

Discover better men’s fashion, sportswear, shoes and tailored clothing at Desmond’s, the store for men. Located at 2819 2nd Ave. N. in Billings. (406) 245-4612.

VROOM, VROOM!

Power up dad’s special day with a Stihl MS 170 chainsaw from Shipton’s Big R. This lightweight, gas-powered chainsaw gives him the right amount of power for making home projects easy. Made in America and priced at $199.99, it’s the perfect way to say Happy Father’s Day! Located at 216 N. 14th St., 2600 Gabel Rd. and 1908 Main St. in Billings.

A GREAT GIFT FOR CIGAR LOVERS!

Give Dad a River Series Cigar Sampler Pack, $39.99, from Stogies featuring the Bighorn, from the rich volcanic fields of Esteli, the Madison, a handcrafted Nicaraguan cigar and the Yellowstone, which features a buttery Connecticut Cigar. Stop by Stogies’ downtown store at 2717 1st Ave. N., (406) 248-6879, or online at BigSkyCigar.com

space5 casual2

BILLINGS’ NEW HANGOUT TO MAKE CONNECTIONS AND SUPPORT ALL THINGS LOCAL

FOR ALANA SUKUT, the concept seemed a natural: offer a place for folks to hang out and limitless activities to spark connections among them. Then, add a shop filled with locally made products. With all that under one roof, Alana has checked off boxes for two of her passions.

Casual Space is essentially what its name suggests – an easy-going place where people can spend as much time as they want and not feel like they’re overstaying their welcome.

“People try to overcomplicate it,” Alana says, smiling.

Casual Space is a place for making connections — where people can challenge a stranger to a game of foosball, shop from displays of more than 40 vendors or pause a moment to fit a piece into the on-going puzzle. It’s a place where those seeking group activities can join a book club, try their hand at a rousing game of bunco or sign up for a macrame class. It’s also a place where friends can gather for a birthday party or mothers can bring their kids for a play group.

“I want this to be a bustling place where people come and go and not feel as if they’re loitering,” Alana says.

Located at 601 24th St. W., next door to the Yellowstone Olive Company and two doors down from the Banyan Tree, the Billings “social club” opened in December 2022. In the few months since, Casual Space has grown through word of mouth and social media.

When Shirley Bulluck discovered the social club, she jumped in with both feet, joining the book club, a chess club and the Bunco group. She’s also used Casual Space for a girls’ night out with her daughter and friends.

She likes the variety of people she meets there and the range of interests they bring to the table.

“With our book group, we’ve begun to share more about our personal lives, so we truly are getting to know each other,” she says. As for the fast-paced Bunco games, there’s little time for

chatting, she says, because the game leaves them bursting out in laughter.

Victoria Contreraz, another member of what she describes as the “super fun” Bunco group, likes the fact that the people who come in seem open to meeting new friends and trying new things.

“It’s been nice to break out of my normal social circles,” she says.

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A BOOK, YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON. SO THAT TAKES AWAY FROM ANY SOCIAL ANXIETY.

— Alana Sukut

The Bunco group has been especially popular, and Alana attributes that to the fact that it’s a game of chance and a game where anyone can start right in. “You don’t need to know anybody – you just move around,” she says.

The book group, too, offers a common thread for breaking the ice. “When you talk about a book, you have something in common,” Alana says. “So that takes away from any social anxiety.”

So how did the idea of a social club come to Alana? She’d long dreamt of launching her own business. And supporting local was always part of the plan.

“When I was younger, I wanted to open a coffee shop and have everything made locally – even with coffee cups made by a local potter,” she says.

When the time was right and Alana’s dream seemed within reach, the niche concept of a social club seemed to fall into her lap.

“People were always asking, ‘Where do you go to meet people?’ It came up so often,” she says.

As a former health/wellness and life coach, Alana has never had a problem connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds. But she realizes that’s not the case for everyone.

“I love to talk to people, to build friendships,” she says. “It kind of broke my heart a bit that I can’t be everybody’s friend. Something just told me I needed to do this.”

So, she decided to create a place for people to meet and make real life connections.

“What better way than through games?” she asks. Combining that concept with a shop for local artists to display and sell their items seemed a perfect fit. Unlike most venues that charge vendors a hefty commission, Alana rents out space for a flat monthly fee.

“I wanted to keep local affordable and available,” she says. Veronica Zimmermann has taken advantage of both the vendor space and the opportunity to schedule Casual Space for her candle-making class.

“It’s been a major asset for the growth of my small business,” she says. “It’s one of my favorite venues to host my classes.

As it turns out, Alana’s two goals have melded into one boost for her business. “People come in to shop and see that this is a really cool place to hang out,” she says. “And people who come in to hang out see something they want to buy.”

The space itself is roomy and open, with vendor displays — from beaded earrings to cozy, hand-knitted blankets to stunning, framed photo enlargements — up front and lining the walls. Colorful toys fill a children’s corner and a circle of cozy chairs in the back seem to beckon a small group to gather. In between there are shelves stacked with games and activities: Legos, Jenga and

coloring books for adults, to name a few. There is always an active puzzle table, a table for chess and empty tables for whatever. Classes, too, run the gamut – from cookie decorating to crafting. The sky’s the limit. Back Yard Theatre has even booked a time for a performance there.

“I’m not anything but we’re everything,” Alana says. “Whatever anyone wants to come and teach, they can. If you think you can make it work, we’ll make it work.”

Alana has been overwhelmed by the people who have found their way to Casual Space.

“So far we’ve had some of the nicest people – welcoming, kind, approachable,” she says. “That’s what we hoped for.” ✻

Folks from all walks of life are welcome at Casual Space, where memberships range from $5 for a day pass to a family rate of $34 per month. Though many of the activities are organized via Facebook, Alana invites non-Facebook followers to contact her for connections and suggestions via her email address casualspacemt@gmail.com. Visit the Casual Space website for a listing of all upcoming classes and events at casualspacemt.com.

LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA, writer

A long-time resident of the Columbus area, Linda Halstead-Acharya enjoys spending time and learning from her rural neighbors. She has a degree in wildlife biology but for the past 25 years has pursued a career sharing other people's stories in print. She loves riding, writing and traveling.

I NEED A FRIEND I NEED A FRIEND

MY THOUGHTS ON HOW TO FIND ONE

THE MOST INCREDIBLE Facebook community I am part of is “I’ll Help — Billings.” It began with the intention of helping people like me, who didn’t know (or didn’t want to know) how many children are part of the child welfare system in Yellowstone County. We started the page to help those children and their caregivers, but also as a place to show others what it’s like to live on the edge.

The idea was simple. Those who are in need place a simple request and anyone who is a follower can say, “I’ll help,” and answer the need. In a matter of weeks, the page changed from a place to help foster children into a place where anyone with an emergent need can reach out for assistance.

Imagine, more than 8,000 people requesting and filling the most basic human needs — every single day. To say it fills my heart is to understate the emotion I feel each time I see the caring, powerful interactions on this page. Sure, sometimes

there are stingy givers and sticky takers, but those folks are quickly quieted by grace, kindness and out-and-out miracles.

I’m telling you this because today I was thinking about what a miracle it is to have true friends. People who you can call at 3 a.m. or ask for a ride to the airport or, like my best friends, neglect for months and start up again as if no more than five minutes had passed. These friends are, in my humble opinion, miracles. We don’t always find them when we’re looking for them but just as miracles do, they show up, cut our sorrows in half and fill us with joy. I have a few friends like that, but not enough who fall into this description. I wondered if it’s just me, a failing of personality or perhaps hygiene or if it’s just the way it is. Maybe I should accept the fact and count myself lucky to have any friends at all.

I decided to research the topic — the entire concept of friendship — when a post popped up on the I’ll Help page. It said, simply, “My heads spinning, I hate being alone. I need

a friend.”

Now, if that doesn’t hit you right in the feels, I don’t know what will. I know I’ve had moments like that, moments when I just needed someone, anyone, to tell me it’s all going to be OK. To make me laugh when all I wanted to do was cry. Someone to say, you matter to me. I, however, was never brave enough to post that reality on social media. The fact that this person created the post makes me think she would be the best kind of friend, someone brave, honest and caring. There were — and this is what makes me love the page — 16 comments. Sixteen people who said, in one way or another, I hear you, I see you, I care for you. Sixteen. Within minutes. Now, that surely is a miracle.

So, is having a friend a bit of a miracle? I’d like to argue that often it is. You are put in the right spot, at the right time, to look at someone and say, “I’ll be your people, if you’ll be mine.” And you, amazingly, fall into a friendship. You have shared interests, tastes, socio-economic standards, goals, dreams, or humor. In my book “Quiet Leadership,” I write about a friend like this — a man so completely different from me that we would seldom cross paths, but a person who stepped into my heart in a way that can only be a miracle. (The chapter is titled “Hate and Discontent,” if you would like to read it.)

But, what if you need those people, but you don’t have those people? What then? How do you find and keep friends? I, and this could be part of the problem, am pretty certain there are more potential friends on this earth than I will ever be able to spend time with, so I am a bit cavalier about spending time with one person and then the next. That, according to science, is not the way to make true and lasting friends. Research shows that it takes a minimum of 40 hours, spent in the company of another, to be casual friends. This is more than an acquaintance, but not someone you would call at 3 a.m.

Forty Hours. An entire work week. And for them to be a friend but still not a 3 a.m. call. An “I’m out of gas” friend takes 80-100 hours of time spent together, looking in the same direction. It takes a minimum of 200 hours to be good friends, and 400 hours, with both highs and lows of life thrown in, to become best friends.

Ten work weeks.

I would argue few of us have that time to devote to the cause of friendship. I would also argue that there are several ways to speed up the process. You can speed it up by sharing challenges, experiences and secrets. Any time you go through stress, be it for fun, or one of life’s great challenges, your capacity to bond is increased. Your time to become good friends is decreased. I capitalize on this fact in my team building experience and have seen it happen in other spaces too.

The best way, as they say, to find a friend is to be a friend.

The next best way is to button up your courage and step into unfamiliar territory with others who think, or act in a way that appeals to you. Join a club (I’m a Rotarian, and so are most of my friends). Take a class (Zest recently offered a class on Mole’ creation, I didn’t even know I needed to know how to make Mole’ until a casual friend told me how wonderful the class was). Solve a problem for someone (I’ll Help members often become friends). Say “yes” when invited to an event at Better Together. Spend the evening with a group of supportive adventurers participating in a Go Unite event, or, if you have an entrepreneurial bent, join Rock 31, where everyone is focused on helping one another succeed.

At Rock 31 I was reintroduced to Kevin Scharf, who is building a wild and cool social media app called Converge. In the Converge app, you join groups that interest you, meet up for fun and powerful experiences and then post your smiling pictures for the community to see. It’s an exciting way to make friends because everyone has the power to invite others who have already said I like yoga, or mountain biking, or knitting Turkish socks (that really is a group) to come along for the fun.

And, that, my friend, is how to make a friend. Invite someone to come along for the fun, or the learning experience or even just a moment to sit quietly and contemplate the stars together. Invite someone along and say yes if they are inviting you. Then do it again and again and again, for a few hundred hours, which is really not that much time in the grand scheme of life. And, if the moment is right, please go to the I’ll Help page, and tell someone, who is probably at their lowest moment, that you hear them, and that you care. You might not be their best friend but you may be their only friend at that critical moment and that is an important role to fill. ✻

By Karen Grosz

THE BEST WAY, AS THEY SAY, TO FIND A FRIEND IS TO BE A FRIEND.

— Karen Grosz

MICROGREENS FOR DRESSING UP DISHES

written by STELLA FONG photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

inSeason2

SPRING IS IN THE AIR, but at Swanky Roots eternal spring brings fresh lettuce, super greens, edible flowers, herbs and microgreens year-round. With their aquaponics system of growing, owner Veronnaka Evenson brings leafy greens to our table every month.

When the weather warms and days are longer, this is the time

of the year to bring people together for brunch. It’s more than breakfast and has a spirit of celebration about it. The fun comes from embracing what’s freshly available and sharing it with others. With the availability of beautiful microgreens and flowers from Swanky Roots, a dish can be prettied and enhanced in flavor with a sprinkling of sprouts and petals. ✻

smoked salmon deviled eggs with

onion microgreens

SERVES 6 TO 8

Deviled eggs are easy to make and even easier to eat. There’s not a whole lot of chewing involved and with the enriched yolks, I find I can savor countless deviled eggs. Smoked salmon screams brunch and is a perfect partner to enhanced boiled eggs. The eggs can be made ahead of time, about two hours before, and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

8 large eggs

1/4 c. mayonnaise

2 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. lemon juice

2 ounces smoked salmon

1 green onion stalk, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS: In a medium saucepan, cover eggs with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 12 minutes. Drain eggs and run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel and halve eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a bowl. Mash with a fork. Mix mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice until smooth.

Spoon egg yolk mixture into a plastic sandwich bag and cut a corner off the bottom. Pipe mixture into hollow of egg whites. Garnish with salmon, capers and green onion.

Serve immediately or chill up to 2 hours.

radish salad with

date miso dressing & radish microgreens

SERVES 4

When I eat this salad, I can close my eyes and picture myself picking fresh greens directly from the garden and immediately devouring the bounty. Radishes are usually the first sign of spring, along with sorrel, growing well when the soil warms. While kale contributes roughness and structure to the salad, pea shoots lighten the mix, with sorrel providing citrus notes and parsley fresh bitterness. Use less kale if you want less bulk and more pea shoots if lightness is what you desire. The radishes and radish microgreens bring a bite to the salad that is nicely balanced with the sweet and savory flavors from the dressing. Fresh flowers can be added to pretty the greens.

8 c. of greens: baby kale, pea shoots and sorrel, cut into large bite-size pieces

6 radishes, thinly sliced

1 ounce of radish microgreens

Edible flowers for garnish (optional)

DRESSING

MAKES ABOUT 2/3 CUPS

1/3 c. water

¼ c. lemon juice

2 T. sweet white miso

6 pitted dates

2 T. olive oil

2 T. Dijon mustard

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS: Into a blender or food processor, add water, lemon juice, miso, dates, olive oil, mustard and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before serving.

In a large bowl, add the kale. Drizzle dressing over kale and with your hands or a pair of tongs, massage the dressing into the greens, working dressing in for several minutes. (At this point the salad can hold in the refrigerator for up to a day.) Then add the rest of the greens and toss lightly with more dressing. Top with radishes and garnish with microgreens.

burgers yogurt spread with mustard microgreens

At the High Five Ranch in Molt, owned by Sara Hollenbech and her husband, Henry, and father-in-law, Mike Hollenbech, they raise sheep and cattle. Their meat is available through the Yellowstone Valley Food Hub. Because lamb meat is lower in fat, the addition of oil helps in caramelizing the meat and keeps everything from sticking to the pan. My oil of choice is safflower oil because it is mild in flavor and available from The Oil Barn, a women-

SAUCE

4 ounces drained and crumbled feta

¾ cup Greek yogurt

1 T. safflower oil

DIRECTIONS: In a bowl, mix together lamb, parsley, onion, garlic, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper, to taste. Let sit in refrigerator for about an hour to marinate. Divide in four parts and shape into patties.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add oil. Place patties in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides and cooked to medium, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Assemble by placing the burgers on the buns and spooning sauce on top. Garnish with parsley sprig, tomatoes, and spicy mustard microgreens. Serve immediately.

Cheers TO JUNE

BREW UP SOME ICED TEA TO SAVOR A LITTLE SUMMER

WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, iced tea was the drink of summer. Several times a week my mother would whip up a couple of pitchers. This was before sun tea was a “thing.” Making ice tea involved steeping four to five bags of Lipton black tea in boiling water in a Pyrex quart measuring cup before pouring it over a large pitcher of ice. There would always be two large, sweating, ceramic pitchers of iced tea on paper plates on the kitchen counter awaiting dinner.

My father insisted there was no better drink to quench his thirst when working outside than a glass of iced tea.

Admittedly, I drink iced tea year-round, but in the summer there is always a pitcher of sun tea either in the fridge or “brewing” outside on the back deck. I tend to mix it up a bit since my sun tea is six bags of black, orange pekoe or whatever tea entices me at the moment.

Kay’s Sweet Tea COCKTAIL

Sweet Tea Vodka

Lemonade

Ice

DIRECTIONS: In a cocktail shaker mix three ounces of sweet tea vodka and three ounces of lemonade. Shake well and serve over ice.

Hibiscus TEA LEMONADE

6 Hibiscus tea bags

1 quart boiling water

1 quart lemonade

DIRECTIONS: Steep the Hibiscus tea bags in the quart of boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove (do not squeeze). Allow the tea to cool. In a large pitcher, blend the hibiscus tea and the lemonade and mix well. Refrigerate. Serve over ice.

Another of my summer tea faves includes Hibiscus Tea Lemonade. And, who can resist an Arnold Palmer?

I think we all know the Arnold Palmer is a blend of iced tea and lemonade but —just to keep the record straight — the pro golfer didn’t invent the drink. He would frequently order it in the club house and after a while, others would order what he did: an Arnold Palmer. If the drink is made with sweetened iced tea, it’s called a Winnie Palmer, named after Arnold’s wife.

After a long work week, to sit outside with my summer cocktail and a good book after dinner is a great way to savor the Montana summer.

Enjoy! ✻

Arnold PALMER

Unsweetened Iced Tea

Lemonade

Ice

DIRECTIONS: Traditional Arnold Palmer: 6 oz unsweetened iced tea, 2 oz lemonade. Fill a tall glass with ice, add the lemonade. Slowly add the iced tea to form a layer of tea. You can also fill a tall glass with ice and use equal parts of tea and lemonade, starting with the lemonade and then slowly adding the iced tea on top.

Winnie PALMER

Sweetened Iced Tea

Lemonade

Ice

DIRECTIONS: Mix the same way as the Arnold, either 6 oz of tea to 2 oz of lemonade or equal parts tea and lemonade.

Iced Tea PUNCH

1 T. tea leaves (mint tea is my choice)

2 c. boiling water

2 c. granulated sugar

1 large lemon, juiced

1 orange, juiced

1 quart carbonated water

DIRECTIONS: Place tea in large heatproof pitcher and stir in boiling water. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain. Add sugar and fruit juices and stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill. Add chilled carbonated water just before serving and serve over ice. Makes 1-½ quarts.

Tea ORANGEADE

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

½ c. granulated sugar

1 c. water

Grated peel from 1 orange

3 T. fresh lemon juice

2 c. orange juice

2 c. strong tea (I prefer orange pekoe or English Breakfast)

DIRECTIONS: Combine the sugar, water and orange peel in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool. Add the lemon and orange juice and strained tea. Chill.

V isi t O ur N ew Slab Show r oom A t O ur B i lli ngs Loc a t i on A nd C hoos e Fr om O ur G r a ni t e M oun t ai n P ri va t e Colle c t i on O f Q ua r t z , N a t ur al S t one a nd Wood Coun t er t ops

V isi t O ur N ew Slab Show r oom A t O ur B i lli ngs Loc a t i on A nd C hoos e Fr om O ur G r a ni t e M oun t ai n P ri va t e Colle c t i on O f Q ua r t z , N a t ur al S t one a nd Wood Coun t er t ops

home and2garden7

82 FEMALE POWERED DEVELOPMENT

Women team up to change the west-end scene

96 PLANTING SEEDS, HARVESTING CONNECTIONS

St. John’s United helps relationships (and plants) take root

102 PLANT DOCTOR

Red Lodge woman taps into natural cures for pests and problems in the garden

106 GET GROWING

Simple ways to keep your flowers blooming all summer long

FEMALE POWERED

WOMEN TEAM UP TO CHANGE THE WEST-END SCENE

written by TRISH ERBE SCOZZARI Photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

REBECCA SINGER

IF YOU DRIVE by the corner of South 24th Street West and Gabel Road, you’ll find a hot spot marked with vibrant culture. If you look a little closer, you’ll meet a handful of women who joined forces to make their mark on this colorful little section of the city.

Carverss Brazilian Steakhouse danced onto the food scene with a menu unlike any under the Big Sky. Central Wellness & Aesthetic Spa stepped up the tempo with a bold beauty and wellness move to meet the needs and desires of a growing city.

Each business had a strong woman behind it with big dreams on what they wanted to bring to Billings. Both turned to the same architect to help make their vision a reality.

Rebecca (pronounced Hebecca) Singer carved a niche in the fine dining world with the opening of Carverss Brazilian Steakhouse. It’s her first bite of business ownership.

Janine Griffin put her stamp on the medical spa industry with the opening of the all-new Central Wellness & Aesthetic Spa, growing her already-thriving business.

A HOLISTIC APPROACH

“What you see is my design,” says Janine. “In my previous life, I’d draw and build homes. I’m still designing home plans for our new subdivision (Griffin Development) and I drew the plans for my daughter Ali’s new home.”

“Janine knew what she wanted,” says Architect Sherril Burke of HGFArchitects, who helped bring Janine and Rebecca’s building plans to life. “She knew what quality and what size of spaces she wanted. We’ve worked on and off together for years since her first building.”

CARVERSS BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE

For a decade, Janine and her daughter owned and operated Central Wellness on Central Avenue. “We were never meant to stay on Central,” Janine says, “so I’ve been working on a new business plan for some time.”

Janine’s new structure, located just beyond Carverss, spans over 7,000 square feet. It’s a holistic med spa blossoming with purpose.

“I decided to do something for moms,” Janine says. “We work hard, we take care of the kids, and then we wake up at age 49 and ask ourselves, ‘What happened?’ I want to help other women take time for self.”

Pulling together what she calls a “look book,” a compilation of photos and drawings, Janine laid out the floor plan. “This is what I always do so I get the outcome I want,” she says.

The plan is punctuated with detail, showing the specific type of exterior overhangs and landscape Janine wanted, right down to interior feature wall and sphere chandeliers. She then sends a digital version to HGFA. “They bring the plan to life, and I finish it,” she says.

The finished structure highlights an exterior that defines contemporary classiness. Unruffled peacefulness infuses the atmosphere within.

Shane Ridley, owner of TW Ridley Construction and general contractor for the building, says, “I started working with Janine on this project in January 2021 with a basic floor plan and Janine’s mind full of ideas. We worked diligently together from that time until the completion. The result reflects Janine’s thoughts and ideas. We were lucky enough to bring it to reality.”

A beautiful feature wall inside the massive glass front door welcomes guests into the foyer before giving way to the glamorous

JANINE GRIFFIN CENTRAL WELLNESS & AESTHETIC SPA

greeting space. Soft grey and black wall colors intermix as they rise to greet the 18-foot ceiling. Wood slats accent this high ceiling, instilling gentle warmth to the sophisticated environment.

Large windows by the spa’s product display bar summons in natural light while presenting a view to the back patio area. “We have room to do everything,” Janine notes. “The fire pit out here is perfect for Botox parties.”

Stained concrete flooring paves the way to private aesthetic rooms. Stylish barn doors close off the world, extending privacy for eight medical professionals attending their clients.

“I designed the CoolSculpting room with pocket doors so the supply room on the other side is always available,” Janine says. This affords easy access to supplies so “there’s no running back and forth.”

Aesthetics and wellness rooms occupy one side of the building, as well as a lab for blood work. A large laundry room, private bathrooms and locker rooms coalesce with these spaces. Marble walls in the women’s shower area further distinguish Janine’s meticulous style.

central wellness2

The opposite wing houses a full kitchen, conference room, accounting and marketing offices, and Janine’s office.

“I care about the business I’m driving,” Janine says. “Our clients choose to come here. It’s about being efficient and a place for them to relax. We make a positive difference in each client’s life one experience at a time.”

Janine developed and grew her business one layer at a time. “It takes the right team and staff to grow,” she says. “It took 10 years, but we did it.”

Sewer line replacement doesn’t mean destroyed yards, ruined driveways or devastated parking lots.

BENEFITS...

• Quick & Cost-Effective

• Environmentally Friendly

• Saves Your Driveways & Parking Lots

• Saves Landscaping

• Approved by Plumbing Authorities

406-252-5146

carverss7

A BRAZILIAN OUTLOOK

The American dream came true for Rebecca Singer when Carverss Brazilian Steakhouse opened its doors this past October. The sumptuous cuisine and enchanting vibe ushered in success for this savvy entrepreneur.

Rebecca arrived in Billings on a cold December day two decades ago with the man she’d met and married in her native Brazil. She recalls encountering more than the state’s frigid temperatures.

“It was a cultural shock,” says this now 40-year-old mom of two young teens. “It was Christmas and nobody was walking. It was too cold.”

Despite the shock, Rebecca captured a vision from this wintry scene. Indelibly etched upon her heart was the desire to combine her love of family and cooking with a touch of Brazil.

“When seeing the culture here in Montana,” Rebecca says, “people are big meat-eaters!” Discovering this nugget of truth, her motivation to bring the family dynamics of Brazilian cuisine to Billings popped into overdrive.

Working with her husband, Matt Singer, in his Billings landscaping business, Rebecca learned to speak English while adjusting to the ethos

of her new home. Her spirited drive to bring a taste of Brazilian fare to this city never wavered.

“My cousin, Bruno (Scalco), in Miami, worked in a Brazilian Steakhouse before,” shares Rebecca. “I wanted to open one here. It took some convincing of my husband.”

With Matt on board, along with extensive phone conferencing with Bruno, the hunt was on for the restaurant’s location.

“I remember the day Matt Singer walked across the road from his office to ours and stated he wanted to build a restaurant,” says Shane of TW Ridley Construction. “That was the start of a great adventure.”

Shane introduced Matt and Rebecca to Griffin Development and HGFArchitects for the design of the building. “It then became a true collaboration of working through design and budgeting,” Shane says.

“We designed and did drawings during the pandemic and started building at the end of it,” says Sherril, co-founder and principal of HGFA. “Rebecca had specific design ideas and brought in pictures of what she wanted.”

“I wanted modern and elegant,” Rebecca says, “but different, with a touch of Brazil. The first thing was a tall ceiling like in Brazil.”

The nearly 7,200-square-foot building stands tall on the corner of 24th and Gabel. Its exterior features soft grayish stone with varied heights of stacked stone and is graced with a plethora of sizable windows and bright red accents. Subtle linear sconces enhance the suave look.

“I wanted a big front entrance,” Rebecca declares.

The completed entry introduces double glass doors sporting elongated red door pulls. The curvy pulls form the “SS,” in Carverss, the “signature” mark for owners Singer and Scalco. “We brought the ‘SS’ into the design,” says Rebecca. “It’s a big touch.”

It’s also a great lead-in to the impressive lobby where a colorful water feature known as the bubble wall intensifies the festive mood. Red accent walls in the main dining area interlace with white and tan-color stacked stone, as well as with gray painted walls. The color and texture add charisma. “The red looks elegant,” Rebecca says.

Dramatic lighting casts a stellar vibe with metal-covered chandeliers hovering overhead. A stunning multi-colored

chandelier hangs over the expansive salad bar. Combining three LED fixtures gives Rebecca the flair she sought for the heart of this restaurant.

Low-rise glass partitions each etched with Carverss Brazilian Steakhouse detail the dining space. The partitioning allows for intimate table seating and is spot-on for “selfies,” says Rebecca. Etched partitions run the length of the full-service bar, subtly separating this busy space from the dining area.

“The Brazilian drinks at the bar, you won’t find anywhere in Billings,” Rebecca says.

The imported golden and gray-colored bar top Rebecca selected glows with the artistic nuance expressed throughout. A red-lit back bar salutes the flow of color thoughtfully placed throughout the building.

“There’s a lot of movement and action here,” Sherril says. “Rebecca cares a lot and put a lot of time and thought into this.” She adds, “We also put in a lot of glass in this building.”

Like the glass-lined façade of the building, huge glass panes allow guests to see into the kitchen where specialty meats are cooked on racks before being served.

“Bruno wanted to see into the kitchen,” says Rebecca. “Our family worked together especially with the kitchen as we had to know

where every machine would go.”

The family also pulled their recipes together to offer authentic Brazilian cuisine on the menu.

“My cousin, Aline Santana, is head chef in the kitchen,” Rebecca says.. “She’s an amazing cook. Her husband, Daniel, is kitchen manager on the meat side. Bruno and his wife, Emi, are managers.”

Rebecca’s love for family, food, and her Brazilian heritage has come together deliciously. “We had lots of ideas,” she says.

“It’s a great restaurant aesthetically and the quality of food and service,” Shane adds. “We’re thankful to have been a part of this project.”

Both projects grew from the extraordinary visions of forwardthinking women making it happen. They’ve challenged and changed the status-quo. They’ve definitively put their marks on the West End of Billings. ✻

Like our architecture, our relationships are enduring.

Planting Seeds, harvesting ConnectionS Planting Seeds, harvesting ConnectionS

ST. JOHN’S UNITED HELPS RELATIONSHIPS (AND PLANTS) TAKE ROOT

written by LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

SEEDS ARE SPROUTING at a greenhouse in downtown Billings. But the harvest isn’t limited to lettuce.

Relationships are germinating at the Urban Horticulture Education Center — relationships linking Billings students with residents from St. John’s United.

Though the relationships are just beginning to take root, the spacious aeroponic greenhouse — located in the former Ganinan’s downtown greenhouse — is already producing fresh lettuce and herbs for St. John’s kitchens.

Barb Bailey, 79, lives at Chapel Court on St. John’s Campus. She was one of the first residents to volunteer in the unique garden. Born in Circle, she spent many years on the farm honing her green thumb.

“Most of my adult life I’ve had gardens and flowerpots,” she says. So, when Barb heard about St. John’s new greenhouse project, she didn’t hesitate.

“It started with a tour,” she says. “At the end they asked if anyone wanted to volunteer. I said, ‘Yes, I’ll commit.’ This fit me just right.”

Barb is one of only a few seniors currently working in the greenhouse, but Kathy Hernandez, greenhouse manager, hopes spring weather will itch more green thumbs.

“We really hope to see those numbers increase,” she says.

At the other end of the age spectrum, a handful of middle school and high school students spend two afternoons a week working at the greenhouse. Some are enrolled in alternative programs that allow them to thrive through hands-on learning. As they tend to the plants, they not only learn about horticulture, they rub shoulders with their elders.

“The kids treat the residents like grandparents,” Kathy says. “And the residents love having the kids here.”

Barb enjoys being around young people and she’s impressed with their enthusiasm. “They’re just very respectful,” she says. “They’re there to learn, to pitch right in.”

The greenhouse itself is a place where visitors are welcomed by the music of flowing water, greeted by the sight of thriving greenery and warmed by the passive power of the sun. Today’s greenhouse is cutting edge, but it traces its roots to 1986, when the Gainan family built the facility in downtown Billings. Fast forward 30-plus years to 2019, when the Gainans donated the brick structure to St. John’s. Over time, certain areas of the building were assigned to offices for home health, hospice and Covid lab testing, says Carissa Welsh, director of volunteer services and grants for St. John’s United.

As for the greenhouse, St. John’s Board pondered several scenarios before coming full circle: they decided the best use for the greenhouse would be as a greenhouse.

Kathy

Carissa Hayden Barb

THE KIDS TREAT THE RESIDENTS LIKE GRANDPARENTS AND THE RESIDENTS LOVE HAVING THE KIDS HERE.

— Kathy Hernandez

Carissa credits Hayden Trost, a senior at West High School and daughter of St. John’s President and CEO David Trost, for pushing that concept to the forefront and planting the seed that has grown into the aeroponic garden at UHEC.

The cooperative venture was a natural for Hayden, who had begun volunteering at St. John’s, about the same time she was helping run the greenhouse at Ben Steele Middle School. Now, several years later, she has cultivated those interests as the focus of her Platinum Project.

As a strong proponent of sustainability and community gardens, she researched different growing methods for the project.

“I decided aeroponics might be a really good fit here,” she says.

Developing it further, Hayden worked with Randy Hafer, president of High Plains Architects, to calculate the solar and rainwater collection requirements that will ultimately make the greenhouse self-sustaining.

She didn’t stop there, promoting the model to the boards of both School District 2 and St. John’s.

As both parties came on board, they saw the greenhouse as a win-win on several fronts. Not only would it yield produce to feed St. John’s residents. It would also offer opportunities for the students and seniors to share life experiences as they worked side by side.

In the spring of 2022, the school district and St. John’s “co-hired” Kathy to manage the greenhouse. With degrees in art education and horticulture, the position seemed a

perfect fit.

“I love growing things, and working with the kids has been a really good mix,” she says.

By December 2022 the towers of the aeroponic system were up

and running. Within six or seven weeks, they were harvesting lettuce – super-fresh lettuce.

“When I get an order from one of the kitchens, I harvest it the day before or the day of,” Kathy says. “And then it’s just a 15-minute drive to deliver it.”

The goal is not to make money but to break even, adds Carissa, “and to provide fresh produce and life enrichment for the residents.”

At least one resident has noticed the difference. Hayden was dining with her grandmother at St. John’s when a woman stopped by their table to thank her for the fresh lettuce.

“So, I think the impacts extend beyond the volunteers,” Hayden says.

Barb, too, thoroughly enjoys the lettuce she takes home. She uses it in her own kitchen and shares it with her friends. “It’s so fresh and so good – it keeps so well because the roots are still attached.”

Looking ahead, Hayden’s calculations have laid the groundwork for the greenhouse to run solely on rainwater and solar energy. Meanwhile, Kathy talks about doubling the number of towers and experimenting with tomatoes and flowers.

“I can grow just about anything with a fibrous root,” she says.

As for the volunteer program and community outreach, both the school district and St. John’s hope to see those connections bloom.

Kathy has already held small “farm-to-table” events at the greenhouse and, through tours, she’s introduced more than 100

Why Aeroponics?

Unlike traditional gardens, the plants in the Urban Horticulture Education Center are grown in towers with absolutely no soil. The growing medium is “rockwool,” an absorbent material made from volcanic rock. Individual seeds are placed in the rockwool to start. When the seedlings are ready, volunteers transfer them to the vertical towers. The towers rely on a closed loop system through which nutrient-enriched water is pumped up to every seedling on

a timed basis. By growing aeroponically, the “garden” takes up 75 to 95 percent less space and uses 95 percent less water than a comparable soil garden.

The system makes it possible for fresh food – higher in nutrient density, crop yield, antioxidants and flavor – to be grown in inner cities where soils have been destroyed. It also allows crops to be grown closer to their final destination.

people to the aeroponic system. As the UHEC finds its stride, she envisions the center as a fieldtrip destination for hundreds of students of all ages.

Bo Bruinsma, career outreach director for Billings Public Schools, echoes that enthusiasm. He envisions expanded offerings for students taking a variety of career paths.

“At the core of this partnership was the inter-generational learning opportunities,” he says.

“It’s been exactly what we had hoped for, where our students look forward to and really enjoy working with the elders. We started this off small and targeted a few programs, but I foresee this program growing.”

Barb, too, would like to see other residents “get their hands dirty.” The commitment is only one hour a week and the St. John’s bus takes volunteers there and back.

“I have another friend who wants to volunteer,” she says. “I may have to keep after her because I think she would thoroughly enjoy it.” ✻

LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA, writer

A long-time resident of the Columbus area, Linda Halstead-Acharya enjoys spending time and learning from her rural neighbors. She has a degree in wildlife biology but for the past 25 years has pursued a career sharing other people's stories in print. She loves riding, writing and traveling.

Plantdoctor2

RED LODGE WOMAN TAPS INTO NATURAL CURES FOR PESTS AND PROBLEMS IN THE GARDEN

written by LAURA BAILEY

photography by LAURA BAILEY and KAREN CLAYSON

WHEN THE DEER mowed down Karen Clayson’s lettuce a few years ago, she was understandably disappointed, but instead of starting over, she tried something new. She sprayed the plants and soil with Silicea 6X, a homeopathic dilution medicine commonly used to treat low energy and insomnia.

With a little research, Karen discovered that Silicea 6X, diluted from the mineral silica, is also effective for revitalizing plants and soils. Her lettuce came back better than ever, and she harvested her lettuce patch three times that summer.

“I just sprayed the whole thing,” Karen says. “I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but it worked, and it got me going down this whole road of agrohomeopathy.”

Agrohomeopathy is the use of homeopathic remedies on plants, and since her first discovery Karen has found many uses in her garden for what was already in her medicine cabinet.

“I’ve been using homeopathy for my own medicine for 30 years, and three years ago realized that agrohomeopathy can be just as effective for plants and animals,” she says.

In addition to her raised beds in Red Lodge, Karen also gardens alongside her daughter in the Clark’s Fork Valley. When grasshoppers were leveling gardens everywhere last summer, Karen applied Thuja Occidentalis 6c, a dilution of arborvitae. The grasshoppers left the garden alone even when the field next to it was full of grasshoppers. Holy Basil is another a remedy that’s

AGROHOMEOPATHY is the use of HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES ON PLANTS, and since her first discovery Karen has found many uses in her garden for what was already in her medicine cabinet.

produced good results for repelling grasshoppers, Karen says.

Agrohomeopathy strengthens the plant, helping it resist pests and diseases, and it can enrich the soil. It is all-natural, chemical-free, non-toxic, and won’t pollute air or streams. It’s also inexpensive. Most of the concoctions Karen uses are available at Natural Grocers and online for less that $20.

Homeopathic medicines are created by diluting a mineral, plant or other organism, sometimes hundreds of times. How it is diluted creates potency. The rule of thumb is “like cures like,” so when slugs showed up on the strawberries, Karen reached for Helix Tosta 6c, which is made from a dilution of pulverized snail shells.

Silicea 6X helps make nutrients in the soil available to plants. It is applied to all the plants in the garden in the spring to fortify them for the growing season, Karen says.

Karen also sprays Silicea 6X on a meadow where her daughter raises chickens. Silicea 6X is safe for the birds and makes the grass grow thicker. When the chickens got heatstroke last summer, Karen added a dilution of belladonna to their water and put a garden sprinkler on them. The birds quickly recovered.

“There’s no double-blind study going on here, but it worked,” Karen says.

However, that’s not to say that there isn’t research being done in agrohomeopathy. The practices that Karen is using are being studied in Europe on large-scale farms.

Karen relies on a couple of books that provide agrohomeopathy remedies for almost every disease and pest that a home gardener or farmer could encounter. At the back of the book is a reparatory, or glossary, that offers a quick reference for treatment of plant pests and diseases. Coccinella (made from ground beetle shells) repels aphids. Arnica Montana (made from an alpine

wildflower) can be used for frost-damaged plants, and the list goes on. Some blights and infestations have multiple options for treatment. Silicea 6X is a staple.

“I’m a novice at this,” Karen says. “Everything is an experiment, really.”

EVERYTHING GETS SILICEA 6X ONLY ONCE IN THE SPRING. OTHER THAN THAT, YOU TREAT WHEN YOU SEE SYMPTOMS.

— Karen Clayson’s

All the agrohomeopathic remedies are applied by dissolving the remedy – it’s on tiny pellets – in water and spraying it on the plants. The solution is absorbed through the leaves and stems. Because it’s nontoxic and inexpensive, it’s tempting to use more than needed, but Karen has discovered that more isn’t necessary, nor is it better.

“Everything gets Silicea 6X only once in the spring,” Karen says. “Other than that, you treat when you see symptoms.”

Earlier this spring, Karen was visiting with her brother in Ohio, and he told her that all the apple trees in his orchard were not holding fruit until harvest. Karen advised — you guessed it — Silicea 6X. Her brother applied it on the trunks of the trees.

What’s next? Karen says, “We will see what happens!” ✻

The Buzz in Billings

nelson nelson nelson

OWNER OF IV NUTRITION

Q. Tell us about your background and your experience in this field. After graduating from CSU College of Business, I started my career working for a natural medicine doctor in Fort Collins, CO. I have dealt with many health problems for the majority of my adult life and it wasn’t until finding natural medicine and IV therapy that I finally started to see a change in my health - it was my direct path to the road to healing. I learned there was a strong need for an alternative therapy to help the Billings community not only feel their best now, but also moving forward, by means of preventative medicine. Because of my personal experience, helping others achieve their health goals with IV nutrient therapy is a true passion of mine.

Q. What makes IV nutrient therapy beneficial?

IV nutrient therapy works on a foundational level to support the body’s innate self-regenerating and healing abilities. This means that no matter what your health goals are, IV nutrient therapy can support optimal health balance and regeneration in your body. Through intravenous infusions and intramuscular injections, we are able to deliver vital nutrients, minerals, amino acids, vitamins and fluids directly to the body’s cells, ensuring 100% absorption.

IV therapy is a uniquely safe, powerful, and potent therapy to help your body heal and regenerate, so you can feel better faster. With dietary, lifestyle, and supplement support, many of these changes can happen, but on a much slower timeline. IV nutrient therapy allows your body to make changes immediately.

Q. What will your clients experience when they visit IV Nutrition?

Upon entering the clinic, you are greeted by our friendly staff, who will direct you to a comfortable reclined chair and explain the IV therapy process. Once your vitals have been taken and you have had a consultation with one of our nurses, we will start your iv service whereby your body receives nutritional support on a foundational level, ensuring it gets the nutrients it needs and uses to regenerate cells and repair tissue. This is your time to lay back, relax and unplug with a cozy blanket and some refreshments. Our nurses will come by every 15 minutes to ensure you are comfortable and when service is completed, they will disconnect your IV and let you know what to expect afterwards, along with any post care instructions. Clients have reported reduction in inflammation and pain, improved energy, improved sleep quality, and more!

Get Get

ARE YOU READY to turn up the color on your patio, deck or porch? Try adding hanging baskets and patio planters overflowing with flowers. All you need to do is ask the experts (like we did) what to do to keep those blossoms looking great all summer long.

PICK THE RIGHT POT

For a patio pot to flourish, it needs to be big enough to hold enough soil and water to allow plants to put down a good root system. The best pots are almost as wide as they are deep and should be about 14-16 inches in diameter. For extra-large or tall pots, Mick Gainan of Gainan’s Garden Center suggests using a smaller liner for the plantings and filling the empty space. If you’re in a windy spot, rocks work wonderfully. If wind isn’t an issue, try chunks of Styrofoam.

Hanging baskets with coconut fiber liners dry out quickly, so you’ll want to line them with plastic and poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Then, fill them with soil and trim the plastic.

Growing Growing

written

by LAURA BAILEY photography by DANIEL SULLIVAN

GREAT BLOOMS START WITH GOOD SOIL

Though it sounds simple, high-quality potting soil is a science and Gainan’s mixes their own custom blend, which they’ve developed after years of research. If you’re not going to use Gainan’s blend, Mick recommends choosing a high-quality soil with plenty of organic material, compost and peat.

“You want soils that will drain really well, so the plant’s roots can drive down to the bottom of the pot,” Mick says.

When choosing soil, he says, stay away from those with fertilizer in the soil. You’ll want to apply fertilizer yourself. If it’s in the soil, you can’t gauge the application amounts, which can result in over-fertilizing.

WHAT TO PLANT AND WHERE?

For your patio pots and hanging baskets to do well, you’ll want to do some detective work. Take a look at where they’ll be placed and think about the amount of sunlight they’ll get and whether or not they’ll be in the wind. Then, choose flowers that are suitable for those conditions. You’ll know from their tags what they can tolerate.

Impatiens and fuchsias do well in the shade, and geraniums love the sun, Mick says. And petunias – especially the Million Bells variety – are a no-fail option that come in more than a dozen colors.

“If you have a picture of where these pots are sitting, we can help you put together something that will perform,” Mick says.

When designing a patio pot or hanging basket, Mick and his crew think, “thrillers, fillers and spillers.” The thriller is the centerpiece – the plant that makes a statement and catches the eye first. The fillers surround the centerpiece, and spillers trail out of the pot and add visual appeal.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, Mick says. For example, you can plant herbs in with your flowers and use them for cooking. Lemongrass will repel mosquitos. Mint repels deer. You can also experiment with growing vegetables like peppers and tomatoes in patio pots.

To keep flowers blooming, don’t forget to pinch off spent blossoms.

“Getting that spent flower off them makes room for another wave of color,” Mick says. “If they get a little wild you can trim them, and outside planters will start to reach to the light, so turn them every so often so they grow evenly.”

MICK'S TIP

✿ YOU CAN PLANT HERBS IN WITH YOUR FLOWERS AND USE THEM FOR COOKING

✿ LEMONGRASS WILL REPEL MOSQUITOS MINT REPELS DEER

✿ GROW VEGETABLES LIKE PEPPERS AND TOMATOES IN PATIO POTS

WATERING FOR BEST RESULTS

Like soil, water seems simple, but there a few best practices to keep your flowers happy and healthy.

Morning is the best time of day to water your patio posts and hanging baskets. It sets them up to beat the heat. If you wait until they’re hot from sitting in the sun, the cold water can shock the plants and damage the foliage.

The best technique for watering is to water the pot, not the plant. If you water over the plant, the leaves shed the water and it doesn’t make it to the soil. Water slowly so the soil does not get washed away.

If they are in full sun, check your pots in the late afternoon or early evening. If they are dry, they might need a second watering.

If, when you’re watering, the water runs through it as fast as you put it in, you need to come back in half an hour and water again. The soil has likely become too dry to absorb the water and it runs down between the pot and the soil. Rehydrating the soil can take several frequent waterings, Mick says.

DON’T FORGET FERTILIZER

Patio planters and hanging baskets need regular feeding, and Mick recommends Jack’s blossom Booster.

All fertilizers have a series of numbers in bold on their labels. The numbers correspond with ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The formula that works best for blooming plants is 10-30-20. The easiest fertilizers to use are water-soluble powders.

Mick advises giving your pots and baskets a good watering before applying the fertilizer. The soil should be hydrated before adding fertilizer.

“What that does is keep the fertilizer suspended in the soil until you feed it again,” he says. “You don’t want to fertilize a dry plant, and fertilizing shouldn’t be in place of a thorough watering.”

A good regimen of fertilizing based on the recommendations on the container will help protect your flowers against disease and insect activity and will help establish a good root system.

NOW… SIT BACK AND ENJOY

Outdoor living spaces are a place to gather, relax and enjoy a meal with family and friends. Flowers add sparkle and provide a backdrop for life’s special moments, so this season don’t hold back. Get growing! ✻

MICK'S TIP

GIVE YOUR POTS AND BASKETS A GOOD WATERING BEFORE APPLYING THE FERTILIZER. THE SOIL SHOULD BE HYDRATED BEFORE ADDING FERTILIZER.

Robin, Tom, and Korinne are more than a team of professional realtors. They are caring, supportive individuals who understand and deal with the deeper issues involved in selling your home. Not only did they efficiently handle the myriad business details, they were right beside me (even after I moved) with flowers for the deck and timed lights for the dining room. They are communicators. I moved across the country leaving an empty house and acreage on the market, and they were there for me, rock-solid. My home was sold smoothly, efficiently, and with great personal care. I simply cannot say enough about this incredible team.

— Cindy Henderson

BROUGHT TO LIFE your vision

• OVER100YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE •