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There are free financial education webinars available through MSU Extension called “Solid Finances.” Every Wednesday at 12:00 pm, they discuss a different topic related to credit and credit worthiness, teaching kids about money, health and finances, retirement and financial awareness and other topics to help you empower you to take control. The sessions are taught by faculty from the University of Idaho, North Dakota State University and Montana State University. The webinars can be viewed from any computer or electronic device with int...
My sister called me one night and said she was in the middle of making some chicken and dumplings. I reminded her that our dad used to make chicken and dumplings out at Clear Creek several times a season and feed it to anyone coming along to his fishing camp. His chicken and dumplings were very good. The dumplings can be made from Bisquick for a very easy application or use the simple recipe included here but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. To make the chicken stew you will need 3 pounds of bone in chicken parts. Thighs work well. 8 cups of c...
Q: My wife gets after me because of my bad language, and I admit I probably swear more than I should, but what difference does it make? No one thinks much about it anymore, as far as I can tell. A: Sadly our society has changed in the last 50 years or so; it seems like it’s almost impossible to read a popular book or watch a program on television today without encountering vulgar or profane language. What difference does your speech make as far as you and your wife are concerned? First, it obviously makes a difference to your wife, and if f...
A pastor friend of mine often tells a story about a man and a woman approaching a building at the same time. When the man notices the woman, he rushes ahead to open the door and hold it for the woman, who was a stranger to him. As she entered the building, she stopped turned to him and said: “Are you holding this door for me because I am a woman?” He responded: “No. I am holding it because I am a gentleman.” Almost every instance I heard this story told by my friend was in the context of work...
Winter Bull Management Protection from inclement weather is a critical factor in winter herd bull management because of the very real concern of frostbite of the scrotum. While mild frostbite generally has a good recovery rate, severe frostbite can leave a bull infertile. Scarring from frostbite can hinder a bull’s ability to raise and lower the testicles for proper temperature regulation. This regulation depends on coordination of three structures: the tunica dartos muscle in the walls of the scrotum, which relaxes when hot and contracts w...
Getting the most from your credit card (taken from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System website) 1. Pay on time—Paying on time will help you avoid late fees as well as penalty interest rates applied to your account. It helps you to maintain a good credit record which leads to a higher credit score, thus helping you qualify for lower interest rates. If the due date falls at a difficult time such as before you get paid, contact the credit card company to inquire if they will change the billing cycle. 2. Stay below your credit l...
I love the winter. Let me preface that remark by saying I love winter when I do not have to go anywhere in it and when I am in a house I can keep warm and most important of all, one that has a full larder. Even when living in town, it is still so good to have a pantry that lets a person fix just about any kind of meal wanted. I stock in with dried soup mixes for a starter. Even though I love to make my own soup from scratch, these dried soups make very good soup too and lots can be added to make them even better. Take this noon. After writing...
For the last couple of months, my family has faced some challenges as a result of illness. These challenges have put us into a position where we have strained a bit under the basic tasks of life. Perhaps the best thing that has come of this time in our life has been that folks have rushed to assist us. Last night, a couple of friends from church, while visiting, took the time to clean my kitchen and wash dishes. In addition, brothers and sisters in Jesus have brought us prepared meals, helped ou...
Q: Why does God say we’re guilty when we do something wrong, since He already knows that we’re not perfect and we’re going to make mistakes? I think He ought to overlook our sins instead of making us feel guilty. After all, this is the way He made us. A: Let me ask you a question: If one of your children does something wrong (or even dangerous), do you simply smile and say, “Oh, well, it doesn’t make any difference. We know they’re not perfect”? I doubt it—because you know what is best for them, and you know you need to teach your children t...
Most anyone who knows me at all knows that the Patriots and the Seahawks are my two NFL teams. I have written again and again how the Patriots got the shaft with Deflategate and how quarterback Tom Brady should not have had a four game suspension at the beginning of this season and how the Patriots should not have been fined a million dollars and lose two draft picks. And yet, there was always another thought running around in my head and that is that will owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady be so mad that...
Super Bowl 51 will be played in Houston on February 5 and might just end up as a battle between two quarterbacks, Tom Brady of the Patriots and Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons. The teams are unevenly matched if looking at this season’s wins and losses. The Patriots record 16 and 2 winning nine consecutive games and have not even trailed since November 27. Atlanta’s record is 13 and 5 and they have won the last six in a row. That is what each team is facing going into Super Bowl 51. However, folks from all over know that a Super Bowl is muc...
One of the hardest things to think about having to do is making the decision of what to do when a loved one is dying. Perhaps you have had to make the decision in the past. You know the reality of how difficult the decision is to make but also wonder if it was the right decision and was it was your loved one would have wanted. Under the Montana Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, Montanans have the right to complete a declaration, another name for advanced directives. This allows an individual to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment...
Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner. Maybe this would be a good time for a couple of recipes for a couple of good dips. The first one, a shrimp dip, comes from my mother and if you are having many people in for Super Bowl Sunday you will need to make a double batch of this one. It is very good. You will need three quarters of a cup of mayonnaise 1 can baby shrimp, drained with a tablespoon of the liquid reserved 1 tablespoon sugar 1 small onion diced in a tiny dice 1 8oz package of room temperature cream cheese. A dollop of hot sauce Th...
Many years ago, I had a coworker that I could not stand to be around, though our jobs required us to work with each other in a variety of settings. This resulted in frequent conflict. In fact, there were several occasions when work devolved into shouting matches. Needless to say, this made my work environment miserable, and that misery often leaked into other areas of my life. I often left work angry and spent my evenings stewing over some insult or altercation. After many months of this, I...
Q: I know you’ve said that God sometimes answers our prayers with a “no”—but if that’s the case, then why bother to pray? A: Yes, it’s true that God sometimes says “no” to our prayers—and with good reason, because He alone knows what is best for us. Just as a loving parent sometimes says “no” to their child’s demands, so our loving God sometimes says “no” to our demands. But sometimes God also says “yes” to our prayers—and that’s certainly one reason why we ought to keep on praying! But we don’t pray only to get things from God. Not only would...
It has been a long, long cold spell starting long before Christmas and lasting into January. Finally, though it is the middle of January and a January thaw seems to be taking place. It is fine with me. By Friday I could tell it was close to the end of the cold spell but was the coldest day yet. I figured that my dog was really hurting from the cold. I knew I was not doing my car any favors by starting it several times a day just so it would go when I needed it to. The boiler in my house seemed never to shut down. I would turn it down at night...
My wife often says that I collect hobbies. I discover something new, begin to learn about it after my interest is sparked, achieve a level of proficiency or learning in my new area of interest, and move on to a new interest. It drives my wife a little nuts, but has resulted in me developing an eclectic skill set. Recently, I was reading a book on the psychology of motivation when I came across a bit of an explanation for my odd tendency to jump from hobby to hobby. The book talked about...
The weather bureau was wrong. They predicted a nice January. We printed their prediction in “The Mountaineer” and ended up looking like we knew not much of anything to trust them in the first place. Just as we were recovering from that mistake, I was driving to Big Sandy early one morning before dawn. I was listening to a radio station in Great Falls and, as it had been cold, the station announcer had weather on his mind. Here is what got to me. All the stations from Cutbank to Chinook and south to Helena and Lewistown reported above zero rea...
I have given this recipe for scalloped potatoes to many people. Most of them have raved about it. I cooked it for Christmas Day and proclaimed it to be the best scalloped potatoes I have ever eaten. Part of it is the fact that it has plenty of ham in it. It also has plenty of whipping cream in it, lots of onions, lots of cheese and just plain old dry mustard. But the single most important ingredient of all is the brown sugar and while the recipe calls for a cup and a half, I think that two cups is not too much. Anyway here is what you will...
With the new year upon us, resolutions may be on your mind. Have you found how easy they are to make them but not as easy to keep? People who make new year’s resolutions are 10 times more likely to accomplish the changes than those who do not formally make resolutions. You have taken the first step by making the resolution. Here are some pointers in keeping it. 1. Plan the resolution out in steps, small increments. Rather than say you are going to save money, review your budget and designate a realistic amount of how much you can dedicate to p...
This morning, I read an article on the most returned or regifted Christmas gifts every holiday season. According to the article, clothing is the most returned Christmas gift, usually because of issues with the article not being liked, not being needed, or not fitting correctly. In the arena of gifts that are given away again as gifts to others, the list is a little more expansive. It included candles, gift cards, picture frames, perfume, cookbooks, and fruitcakes. The reason I researched the...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Fort Benton (Pre-Registration Begins Today) MSU Extension level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Fort Benton in February pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. If fifteen people pre-register, we will have the class, which traditionally begins the third week in February. Please contact the MSU Chouteau County Extension office at 622-3751 to pre-register. The Level 1 Master Gardener course requires 16 hours of class time, and is...
The neatest scene I ever saw regarding Christmas Trees in the Bear Paw Mountains would have meant little or nothing if I hadn’t been an English teacher and loved to teach Macbeth. During those days a friend or two and I would go up to the tops of mountains and cut down several trees that would barely fit into our living rooms. But they were so beautiful and after all, I always had the huge Christmas trees of Francis and Laened Black as patterns. If they could have a Griswold Christmas tree, why couldn’t I? What we always wanted was the top twe...
The philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote a parable about a king, who was very wealthy and powerful. He was so wealthy and influential that other kings came from all around to kneel before him. Everything he saw was his and there was nothing he could not have. That is, until one day, this king sees a peasant woman working just outside of the castle. He is struck by her beauty and grace. He begins to make up excuses to watch her. The more he watches, the more in love he becomes. He decides that he...
Q: We want to make this a better Christmas, so we’ve decided to read some Bible passages together about Christmas. Where can we find them? A: I’m thankful you want to do this; could anything be more important than turning our hearts and minds toward Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas? Let me simply repeat some suggestions I’ve made before. Centuries before Jesus’ birth, God promised that He would send His Savior into the world. This week, therefore, I suggest you concentrate on prophecies from the Old Testament. You might begin w...