The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Celebrations are incredible because of the people. So many winners including every person who participated in celebrating our small town "Cowboy Christmas." Grand prize winner of the button draw for a $1,000 gift certificate at Valley Furniture was Marie Jappe and the grand prize winner for the child's button was Lauri Silvan who took home a two-seater electric 4-wheeler.

The grand prize float went to Nimmick/Darlingtons, the float with the most lights went to the fire department (no one else will win that prize, they just add more lights from the prize money for the next year). The People's Choice award went to the Grocery Store and the Best Theme went to Tom Allen. The Cocktail Throw Down was won by The Mint with Santa's Secret Stash.

Santa Claus was in town, he greeted the children at Breakfast. When asked why he liked to come to Big Sandy he said, "I love the Christmas Spirit here."

Big Sandy residents work for months to prepare for the opportunity to show their passions to their neighbors. Sarah Drga with Golden Plains Goat Milk Lotion had a table of hand-made body lotion. She had a smaller number of bottles this year due to the fact that morning sickness slowed her ability to get into the kitchen. She started making the lotion because she had an abundance of goat milk. She got into goats because she loves goats.

However, goat milk is easier for her to digest as well. She wanted to make something pure with very little chemicals. She has eight different smells including citrus, lilac, peppermint, cranberry pomegranate, berry vanilla, honeysuckle, sage hen, and lavender. If you are interested in purchasing some lotion from her you can contact her through her website http://www.goldenplainsmininubians.com.

For the third year in a row Karma's Kandies has had a table with hand dipped chocolates. She doesn't have a web page, nor a business card, because she doesn't want to get too big. She just hopes to make something that the community of Big Sandy looks forward to every Christmas.

She has 14 different flavored dipped Chocolates including Truffles: Mocha, Raspberry Cheesecake, Dark Chocolate Orange, Mint, Cookie Dough, S'mores, and Chocolate Peppermint. She also makes Chocolate Cover Cherries, Pretzel Bites, Chocolate Roll Candy, Mounds, Peanut Butter Cups, Caramel Pretzel Snaps, and Almond Joys.

The price of one dozen is a deal considering the massive work it takes to make homemade chocolates, but she finds making chocolate relaxing. Call Karma Hall at 406-621-2242 or 378-3223. Some of the recipes are family recipes that she has tweaked. She has made special orders for Valentine's day.

Another home maker of delicious desserts is Cassie Bahnmiller. She found the recipes for her Gourmet Rice Krispy's on Pinterest and thought she'd try it. It was successful both times she had them for sale. She isn't wanting to make them as a business yet, but is open to making a special order of one flavor variety (eight pieces) upon request. She has six flavors Oreo, Butter Finger, Snickers, Turtle, Reeses, and Thin Mint.

Keely Bahmiller who is consistently in the top 5 in her business, Norwex, in the state of Montana had a table. Norwex is a company which believes in radically reducing chemicals in the home. She has a wide variety of cleaning supplies.

She started this business because after having a child and while she was cleaning her bathtub and she had trouble breathing due to the chemicals, she just wanted a safer way to clean. She has been selling Norwex for three years. Her favorite item is the window cloth, because it cleans windows and mirrors streak free and shining just using water. "And my kids can clean the windows now."

Students from Big Sandy High School, who are traveling to Belize on a science trip were there selling chances on a cooler, face painting, with one selling misc. crafts and knitting. Chouteau County Homeschoolers were there selling a variety of products the school age kids helped make. Soaps, candles, homemade noodles, Chex mix, cookies and fudge were for sale. They were raising funds for craft and field trips to enhance their education. Homeschoolers actually go to a private school, as class lessons are sent to them, and then they get on-line for testing.

There were many local seamstresses with a variety of sewn items, beautiful quilts, wall hangings, blankets, and table runners. A group of women who called themselves Sewing and Sew Forth had two of its members sitting at their tables. A new table from a new Big Sandy resident is Maranna Dean, wife of Tom Allen, with her business name as Upcycle Craftier.

This is her first craft show. She takes apart other fabrics items and reconstructs making new items. The items look like brand new. Some of her fabric and trims are at least 30 years old and some up to 60 years old making the materials older than she is. If you are interested in talking to her you can contact her at 406-868-7138.

The Methodist Church women were selling a wide variety of items raising money to allow them to support a variety of missions. The Catholic Church was there selling tickets on another Nativity Set which means they have now sold a Nativity Set for ? years in a row. Every one of them incredible beautiful. The American Auxiliary was selling baked goods to raise funds to send Junior girls to Girls State and to support other projects for Veterans in the nursing homes in Montana. The auxiliary has 25 members.

The only time Glenn Braun, Woodhawk Trading Co., sells any of his rock jewelry and other creations is at the Big Sandy Christmas Stroll. He travels all over to collect different rocks like Oregon Picture Jasper (one of his favorites), Grave Yard Plume, Willow Creek Jasper and one of a kind Snake Skin agates. "I was always interested in rock, but I never picked rocks at home." He laughs. Glenn believes he has two tons of rocks at his home, so he'll be doing this creative addictive art for years to come. He has also built cedar bird houses for 10 years selling them as well at his table.

At the Big Sandy Museum Katie Heppner had a table of professionally looking home décor, but she herself was at Belt helping to coach 3rd and 4th grade girls' basketball teams at a 3 on 3 tournament. A friend was manning her table. Paula Amsbaugh set up a table for the very first time selling Mimi's Mustard and Dip. She was given a recipe that she has changed. It's a secret recipe now. She's made it for year and was just given it away, but this year she's starting a business trying to sell her mustard. There are two flavors one "Not so Hot", which I tried and it was hot enough, but then I added it to tuna fish for a sandwich and it was incredible. The other flavor is hotter than "Not so Hot". Big Sandy Organics was also there showing off new flavors on their wheat snack. ?????, selling oil and soap.

There were a number of out of town vendors, but mostly the vendors were from Big Sandy. A great time to visit and encourage their passions. Never too late to talk to them about it including more in-depth articles in the Mountaineer in the future.