Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
Our pastor, Sue, had told us she was doing the “ blessing of the animals” at the churches in Havre and Chester. Did we want to have a service also? Of course, we did. I did some research into the blessing of animals. I had heard about it but never attended a church that did it. The idea and service go back 800 years to St. Francis of Assisi. St Francis is, of course, the patron saint of animals. He wanted a thanksgiving for God’s creations, so he asked for animals’ blessings. He celebrated the human/ animal bond. St Francis quoted Exodus,...
I was born and raised in Canada, so I have always called Queen Elizabeth the second my queen. I was raised in a family who loved the monarchy. My mother kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings regarding the Queen, especially when she was in Canada and Saskatchewan. When I return to Canada on my next trip, I shall dig them out and pore over them. As everyone knows, the Queen died on September 8. Surprisingly, the US TV stations have broadcast everything revolving around the funeral and, of course, the remaining family. There are some things you...
I saw foxes, deer, and rabbits on a recent trip to Canada. No moose this time, but I have seen them once in a while. However, I found myself mostly watching the crows and gophers. I grew curious about them. I realized I knew very little about either. Both are not on most people’s lists of desired birds/animals. That did not deter me in my quest for knowledge. I first thought crows were smart and gophers not. Research showed me to be wrong. Beginning with crows, I discovered their intelligence is equated with that of monkeys. I read several s...
When I was growing up, none of my family swore. The only exception to that rule happened maybe twice a year when I would hear--DAMNIT!!! A hammer usually preceded it on a finger or something similar. I first used that word at the tender age of five. I had been given a dog much against my parent’s wishes, and I loved her dearly. However, that particular Easter Day, she became a damnit dog for the day. I had been thrilled with my Easter basket that morning. I received no candy other than at Easter and Christmas, so it was a very big deal i...
We are all too familiar with the serious, devastating addictions pervading our society. The one happier addiction hardly ever mentioned is that of the bookaholic. The bookaholic draws little interest as they conduct their addiction behind closed doors unless they sally forth to a Book Club. They might as well say, " Hi, my name is ----and I’m a bookaholic." There are some drawbacks to being a bookaholic. Unless you rely on your library for your "fix’" you can tally up some hefty bills at Barnes and Noble and other book stores. Then the...
Yes, I am calling myself a dinosaur, as I’m sure many young mothers will view me as such. The thing is, being a dinosaur has taught me lots of things. Scientists learn many things from studying dinosaurs. Study my dinosaur ideas and see if you learn something new!. In the movie “ A Boy’s Life,” “ I know a thing or two about a thing or two!” I couldn’t have said it better. I will make some things plain at the beginning. I loved raising my children; I had a great time. Of course, there were down days, but I look back on those being the best of da...
Well, here we are all hunkered down again in the cold and nastiness of winter. To cheer you up, I thought I would relate a true story. Hopefully, you will get a laugh out of this, even if it’s at my expense. This first article is laying the groundwork, so to speak; the next two will give you your laughs and chuckles at my expense. It all began in Arizona. I was living alone on an acreage thirty miles from the school I was working at. My husband had been killed in a hit-and-run accident, so I was a Lone Ranger. I had horses, dogs, cats, and t...
Nowadays, we see Christmas cards with jolly Santa’s, merry Christmas scenes, and some nativity scenes. It was not always so. The first Christmas card was produced in 1843. This was the Victorian era, and as with many other things, the Victorians did Christmas cards very differently than those of our generations. The Victorian era saw murderous mice, Santa kidnapping children, and blood-thirsty snowmen’s Nick was often teamed with the devil to decide if children were good or naughty. The naughty were whisked away by the devil. Charming! Christma...
How many of you knew that Canada celebrated Thanksgiving on October 11th.? Instead, we here are celebrating November 25th. Ken and I usually celebrate both days, so why not? However, this year we were too busy to get into a turkey dinner. Instead, we will celebrate in November. Now maybe it’s just me, but I have a hunch it was some man that planned the US Thanksgiving in late November! Canada has done it much smarter You have Thanksgiving, and then enjoy Halloween a couple of weeks later. You then have all of November and most of December to o...
UMW stands for United Methodist Women. We meet once a month at the Methodist church. We have a great time, a time that is interdenominational. This means we welcome anyone to attend and join us in worshiping God and donating to many charities in Big Sandy and Montana. We donate money to the fire department, the food bank, a women’s rescue home in Great Falls, a women’s prison, and disadvantaged children at Christmas. We provide mittens, hats, scarves, and socks. We also send several boxes for individual children with clothing and a toy. If we...
Have you ever gone into a town and felt at home right away, even before you met a soul? More than that, have you felt captured and fascinated? It has happened to me twice, the second time I entered Sintaluta, Saskatchewan, for the first time. I had moved from Arizona to relocate near my children and was searching for a house. I happened to see an ad for a house in a town called Sintaluta. Even though I had visited its neighboring towns, I had never been in it. As I drove down the main street in search of my house, the magic hit me. How do you...
Most of you reading this can only complain about one government, but I am fortunate enough to be able to complain about not one but two. Both the US and Canadian governments get my critiquing. This article is centered on the Canadian side of the border. So read and enjoy another country’s disorganization. As some of you may have read, I was “jumping through hoops at the border” back in July. I had called the border three times with questions to make sure I had my ducks in a row. I arrived at the border with full vaccination, passport, rabies ce...
The United Methodist Church did not win a monetary lottery; no, we won the lottery of "who we got for a pastor"! As all churches can admit, waiting to find out what your new pastor will be like is a very anxious time. We have met our new pastor, the Reverend Doctor Susan King. She has asked us to call her Sue and has already made a very positive impression on our group. I will relate all her academic achievements, which are undoubtedly praiseworthy but what has captured me is how she has...
As of June 2021, the Canadian government has extended border closures between the US and Canada. This was not a popular decision on either side. People have been cut off from loved ones, have been unable to access property on the other side of the border, and some people's businesses have been drastically affected, especially those reliant on travel. Hopes were high on either side that by summer, rules would be relaxed. However, Canada has entered what they call Phase One of their return to...
"For everything there is a season"-Ecclesiastes 3;1 All through our lives there are seasons. Happy, sad, challenging, many kinds of seasons. The Methodist Church of Big Sandy is going through such a season. We are in the middle of change, and with this change comes sadness. We are losing our lay-pastor, Laverna McGrew. Laverna will hold her last service with us on June 13. We have come to rely on Laverna each Sunday, and she has faithfully driven each Sunday from Havre to lead our services....
My father was one of the gentlest and kind persons I have ever known. It was in his nature to help people. He avoided confrontation. Yet, he became a soldier. He worked on the family farm till he was twenty-seven and at that age was accepted into the RCMP( Royal Canadian Mounted Police). He was put in charge of the horses for his unit due to his extensive work with them on the farm. He was an excellent rider--soaring over jumps with his arms crossed. During his training, he met my mother, and...
(Editor’s Note: The follow is the opinion of Ann Denning and should not be considered an endorsement. Please see a doctor before any dieting.) A quote by Lord Tennyson says,” In spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to love.” I can’t say this is so. I would’ve guessed a new car or truck. I can say with some authority that the coming of spring prompts many a woman to decide to diet. A lot of us are horrified to discover that being sequestered in the winter, not to mention being in during the pandemic, has caused our assets to bloom, as i...
I was raised an only child but one that was expected to look after herself. That included going alone to the dentist at an early age. I was given no sympathy if I came home with bruises. I was told I knew where the band-aids were; my neighborhood comprised myself and another girl and around twenty boys-learning to look after myself gave me the courage to think outside the box. I became a little ruthless, in a good way, of course. Our neighborhood was in a small city with open grassed areas here...
I don't want to write this article, but after mulling it over for some time, I believe it should be written. I am presently grieving the loss of three pets. My Koda, 15, passed in March after a nine-month battle with cancer. Erica Chauvet, our local vet, came to my house at 6:30 a.m. to be with Koda and me and help him pass peacefully in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by love. My dear Chance, my thirty-two-year-old horse, died December 3. Erica Chauvet had come out twice before and was...
Around and about two years ago, I decided we must get two baby goats. I had seen cute videos, and our farrier's wife was selling them. Two good reasons, they are Pygmy Dwarf goats who came to us tiny and now have big bellies but are still short. For some unknown reason, the song 'Cisco Kid" by War began playing in my head. If you have never heard this song, you must check it out. In it, it says Cisco drank the whiskey, Pancho drank the wine. Well, one little guy certainly struck me as a Cisco....
I have never had a Guinea., never particularly aspired to have a Guinea, but a Guinea I have. Enter Henrietta into our lives! She has said her name is Henrietta, but since learning how flighty she is, I doubt we can trust her word. However, we will give her the benefit of the doubt. While feeding the horses one morning, we spotted Guinea strolling around with the horses, pecking up bits of feed. Where did she come from? We felt sure she'd skedaddle back to where she came, but this did not...
Those words cause a person to feel slighted, irritated and sometimes surprised. The Canadian/U.S. border is now closed, except for essential travel. Essential travel is commercial products being taken back and forth to each country. There are feelings on each side of the border concerning the closing, but this article will deal with what this means for the U.S. side. Big Sandy, for the most part, appears unperturbed and unaffected. However, these are early days. As time goes on, more problems may emerge. Traveling, of course, in Canada by an...
“Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in awhile.”—Kin Hubbard. We , at the book club, are lucky to have the one-tenth that always have something to say without prompting. Our group met on the 8th with our book of the month being,” A Reliable Wife”, by Robert Goolrich. Karen Moes led the discussion about this unusual book. I have thought about how to describe this book and for once, words fail me. I can’t come up with a one-liner that encapsulates it. So, I will stagger on d...
I have started this article a few times in my head and then thought, what do you have to write about, you met him once?! But the idea persisted that I did have something to say. I did not get to know him the one time I met him as I was there for an interview, so conversation was one sided. I got to know Robbie through his articles. I looked forward each week to more of his tales of his and his family’s past. They were so colorful and often funny. He educated me about a time of which I had no knowledge. His writings were not just of a time p...
