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Geyser This Week – January 22-January 29

Good Golly Miss Molly another week has torn by in the blink of my camouflaged-colored eye!

On this week’s hectic agenda:

Sunday (today):  Doctor’s orders:  Rest, Relax & Recharge!

Monday:
**Lunch at the Senior Center:  Swedish Meatballs, Noodles & mashed potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables, Cranberry orange jello salad, Peach Crisp ala mode
**JR Varsity Boys and Girls Games in Hobson – 5/6:30

Tuesday:
**JV Boys “C” Game at West Elementary - 6pm

Wednesday:
Geyser Community Council Meeting – 7pm – Geyser Community Building
**This meeting we will be discussing 2011 and setting new goals for 2012!

Thursday:
Lunch at the Senior Center: Chicken Pot Pie, Zucchini Bean Salad, Rice, Fresh Fruit Salad, German Chocolate Candy Cake

Friday:  Home Basketball Action In Geyser
VS Winnett/Grass Range – 3/4:30/6/7:30

Saturday:
Basketball Action in Fort Benton (also a C game) 1:30/3/4:30/6/7:30

SUNDAY BREAKFAST!!!!!  “Breakfast Around the World”
German & Swedish Pancakes
Spanish Eggs
English Bread Pudding
Mexican Potatoes
Tropical Salad
Bacon
Maple Bars
** Featuring Bingo Play-hosted by the wonderful and talented Miss Valerie Johnson!

Quote of the Day:
“People often say that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.  This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including inside ourselves.”  (Salma Hayek)

 

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Lessons from a Salad Bowl

This last Saturday night, I was taking a quick break from my frenzied concession duty.  During conversation, as I sat with several dear friends, one of them asked me what my next article was going to be.   As usual, I uttered that it would be a surprise to us all.  Occasionally I have an idea but more times that not, I’m completely clueless about what my fingers are going to type.  Thankfully, they seem to have a mind of their own.  When I mentioned that I didn’t have a clue, they thought that maybe I should write about making salads.  We all laughed and I mentioned that I write too much about cooking, eating and driving.

Now enters Sunday Church Service-mostly commonly a time for spiritual awakening-for me though, my mind dashes about searching for interesting, entertaining and perhaps one day, a mind blowing article that will  be so profound  my readers with toss roses at my feet.  No!  The other part of my mind says, ‘listen to the sermon’.  The pastor is discussing about being our own worst enemies.  Oh no!  Is she talking about me?  Yes, I’m paying attention now.  (for about 39 seconds)  I find myself drifting back into a world of slight panic as the sun raises higher and higher into the sky.  I keep thinking about making salads………

Several months ago, several of us Geyser Booster gals had discussion about concession food and how ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we could offer something healthy’.  We’ve toyed with the idea before but nothing has ever come to fruition.  Finally though, we pulled it off.  We made healthy salads to offer in addition to our standard fair of hot dogs, pretzels, nachos and yes, maple bars.  We weren’t entirely positive how the general public would feel.  “We” tend to not like a lot of change. “We” like things to stay the same as they’ve always been.
I am guilty of getting into a rut and always expecting things to be as they’ve always been.  Being the same is comfortable and easy.  Doing something different can be a little scary.  I long to be adventurous but, for the most part, it’s much safer to drive a 4 door sedan than a souped-up 2 door sports car.

Maybe not all change is frightening when it happens in a safe environment?  Can the two, in fact coincide and indeed, work together?    When the salads were a complete hit with the crowd and sold out in minutes, there were whispered words of serving sushi during concessions.  Sushi?  In beef country?  I wonder if the world as we know it would come to an end?   I guess I’m wondering if change is less scary and much more acceptable if we just all do it together?
I wish I had all the answers to all the questions in my life.  For now though, I’m happy to just share a salad with friends.

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Geyser This Week – Jan 15-Jan 22

Good Weather-Changing Day!  Perhaps Mr. Winter is finally knocking?

On this week’s agenda: (and it appears quite busy!)

Sunday:  Today – - – Pitch Play Extravangza
2-5pm – Geyser Community Hall/Senior Center-Come on, come all and experience exciting Cutthroat Play!   Snacks, Prizes, Good Times

Monday:
**Lunch at the Senior Center:  Spaghetti w/meat sauce, Cheese Bread, Green Salad, Mixed Fruit Salad, Hazelnut Brownies
**JV Boy’s “C” Game – Stanford – 6pm

Tuesday:
**FCE Meeting- 6:30 pm – Cabin Creek Bar & Restaurant
**JV Boy’s “C” Game – Great Falls High-Old Gym
**Board & Council Training Workshop-offered by MSU Extension- 5/6 (see your JB Press for details)

Wednesday:
School Board Meeting

Thursday:
**Lunch at the Senior Center:  Ham, Oven Mac & Cheese, Rum Raisin Carrots, Strawberry Sunflower Salad, Pineapple upside down cake
**Basketball Action in Moore 3/4:30/6:00/7:30

**Saturday:   Home Bball in Geyser! vs Roy/Winifred0 3/4:30/6/7:30

Quote of the day:
“The meek shall inherit the earth?  Well…..I don’t think so.  If by meek you mean friendly and introverted, okay maybe, but if by meek you mean unwilling to take a chance, then never.  If I was a betting man and I had to wager on who I thought would inherit the earth, my money would be on the curious.”  (Jim Coudal)

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Wearing a Habit

As always with the ringing in of the New Year, I self-examine.  This not only happens with the purchase of the new yearly calendar but also almost every Monday throughout the year.  I have bad habits and sometimes they almost rule my life.  I’m not alone, though, am I?

“When you say that someone is a ‘creature of habit’, you mean that this person is so comfortable in their current lifestyle that they have for the most part ceased to be spontaneous in any way. Most everything that they do is done by force of habit rather than by instinct (as animals do) or by conscious decision or by whim.”

I am wondering why it is so very easy to give up an easy habit but almost impossible to give up a bad habit?   There are plenty of self-help books and sites on the subject. I think a person could get lost in reading through quotes and references on the subject.   ” To really get ride of a bad habit, you should replace it with a good one. You have to want to get rid of the bad habits, and you must practice and work at it in order to change.”  I think the key word here is ‘change’.

For more years than I can count on my fingers and toes, I was a chronic nail biter.  My poor parents yelled, coerced, bribed and just about everything else under the sun to get me to quit chewing.   When I was very young, it didn’t seem like that big of a deal but as I grew into adulthood, it became very embarrassing.  I became an expert at curling my fingers whenever in public to hide my disgusting habit.  I longingly looked at other women’s long, painted, and bejeweled nails.  I made numerous attempts at quitting but could never quite do it.  Now being a recovered nail biter, I’m still mystified how I could quit and never look back.  I don’t really miss it but can sometimes can feel the claws in my psyche when I have a broken and uneven nail feeling the need to ‘make it even’ and yes, I’ve had a few set-backs over the years.

Is it self-discipline that I’m missing?   What does it take to find this holy grail?
What magic?  I already know the answer.  We all do.  There’s nothing special.  There’s no secrets.  A person doesn’t even need to consult a psychic or read a book.  The real support comes from within.  When we’re wearing our habits, we tend to make little deals with ourselves to lessen our guilt.  True?  I have an arsenal of fabulous deals I’ve made.  Let’s say I eat something super unhealthy for dinner.  My mind whispers, “well, you can eat really healthy for the rest of the week.”  The week goes on and yes, I do make some healthy choices but it seems that I somehow make more deals with myself.  Why it is so easy to make a bad choice over a good one?

Again, I know I’m not alone in my struggles.  I can look around a gym full of people and know, without a doubt, there are those struggling with habits and addictions.  I can turn on my television and be aghast at the reality shows focusing on bizarre human nature.  I often wonder why there are so many of these types of shows but then, I know.  We want to tune in and know that there are folks out there with much worse behavioral issues than our own.  I KNOW that I’m not 600 lbs.  I KNOW that I don’t need to have an intervention.  I KNOW that while I stack stuff that I am not a hoarder.  That’s just part of it though.  What I do KNOW is that I have my own set of issues that I need to be dealing with and that, yes, they are easy to overcome if I just set my mind to it.  Any of us can do that, can’t we?  One of the articles I read was to replace a bad habit with a good habit.  That doesn’t seem so intimidating.   It’s nothing really.  We can choose what kind of habit to wear.  Mine, well, it’ll probably be a bit askew.

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Geyser This Week-Jan 8-Jan 15

Again, Happy New Year and Happy New Week.  While I am complaining about the wind, I am NOT complaining about the mild temperatures.  …  Interesting though, we begin worrying about moisture and fires.

On this week’s uber-busy agenda:

Sunday:
*4h- Meeting 4pm-Geyser School MPR

Monday:
*Lunch at the Senior Center: Pork Roast, Boiled Potatoes w/butter & herbs, Gravy, Green Beans, Applesauce,White Cake
* Booster Club Meeting – 7pm
* Boy’s JV “C” Team single game-Denton 6pm

Wednesday:
*Book Club-7pm-Mrs. Sandy Watkins’ Residence

Thursday:
*Lunch at the Senior Center:, Herb Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes & gravy, Steamed Broccoli, Apricots, Parmesan biscuits, Raspberry Cheesecake

Friday:
*Bball Action in Power – 3/4:30/6/7:30

Saturday:
*Bball Action in Hobson – 3/4:30/6/7:30

Sunday: 
**Pitch Play at the Geyser Community Hall – 2pm-5pm
Cutthroat Play!  Grab Bag Prizes! Sandwiches & Snacks
This event is open to all.  We already have nearly 20 people signed up.!!

Quote of the Day:

“Time is the coin of your life.  It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.  Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” (Carl Sandburg)

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An Unlikely Obituary

I don’t believe I will ever land a position as an obit writer.  I don’t know that my mind will allow me to be only factual and to the point.  Good news though, I have never applied for any such position nor am I likely any time soon….

Our Favorite Stray

Our Geyser Community has recently suffered yet another death of a beloved soul.  Our friend can be described in so many ways. He was mostly quiet with an occasional outburst of discussion.  He understood the moods and feelings of those around him with never a word uttered.  He was affectionate.  He was kind. He was many many things but mostly he was devoted to the members of this community.

While we never knew his true name or his lineage, many in our area gave him names.   He was mostly commonly known as Doc and sometimes Wilson.  Early on, I began talking about him as the neighbor dog and soon my nickname for him was Neighby.  He answered to all of these names with a woof and a wag of his tail.  In these last years, he was loved by nearly everyone in the whole community.

Sometimes during a funeral service, friends or family will share stories about the departed.  I would like to do that today in honor of our friend:

My in-laws across the street used to have cute little painted caricatures tucked hither and thither around their yard.  The then puppy delighted in ripping them out of the ground, chewing them into pieces and leaving sad remnants to be either picked up or mowed over.  The final straw was the nativity scene!  My in-laws became so incensed that rocks were thrown at the dog every time he came around.  For a while after, he maintained a bit of a distance but always remained close by.  When he got a bit older, he started going everywhere in town with Grampa & Gramma.  He became a friend of the Senior Center and he never missed Sunday church-not ever, not once.  They came to count on seeing him every morning.

As the years progressed and our own dog passed away, the Neighbor Dog remained vigilant to our family.  Not only did he protect Grampa & Gramma, he also started attending sporting events.  Baseball and football seemed to be his favorites as his soulful eyes and quiet demeanor always meant an accidentally dropped burger or a broken hotdog.  Again, a woof  and a wag were his way of being thankful.

Once, while I was working a long night of  concessions, a terrible blizzard came through.  The night came to a close and there, outside the front door of the school with about 4-5″ inches of snow on top of him was my Neighby.   He could always be found waiting for one of the members of our family.  His patience must have been phenomenal. Hours upon hours, he would wait.  Once he would see us safely in the car, he b-lined it home and disappeared.

Years ago, I figured out how smart the dog really had to be.  He was a stray and yet very well cared for.  He spent nights in a warm porch at Vi Holland’s where she tended and spoiled him.  He cut a now well-worn path through our yards to take up his place on Bud & Martha’s front step.  Now, loving the dog, there were scraps and doggy treats aplenty.  Most late afternoons were spent down at the bar and, I’m sure, more scraps and goodies for our friend, the stray.  I packed home a doggy bag more than once…..

We’ve all had pets whom we’ve shed many tears over.  I don’t know many communities though, with such a devoted character such as our Doc. He passed quietly at the end of November.  He is buried close by -thank you Steve & Jerry.  We ALL will miss our friend and we were ALL honored to be his very own.

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Geyser This Week – Jan 1-Jan 8

Happy Happy New Year!!!!  Yeah, glad to leave 2011 in the dust! Whew!

On this Week’s agenda:

Monday:
Lunch at the Senior Center: 1/2-Brats with Sauerkraut,Turkey Noodle Soup, Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Pears, Cranberry Apple Cake ala mode

Tuesday:  Back to School !!

Thursday:
Lunch at the Senior Center: Meatloaf, Cheesy Potatoes, Peaches, Creamed Peas, Haystacks & Nut Clusters
*  Basketball games in Denton

Friday:    Remember, no school on Fridays until after Easter!
*  Basketball games in Stanford

Quote of the day:
“What we do for ourselves dies with us.  What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”  (Albert Pine)

Future Dates:
4H Meeting – January 8th
Book Club- January 10th
Pitch Play – January 15- Geyser Community Hall – 2pm-5pm
*  We realize this is rodeo weekend but our community schedules are such that this was our best opportunity.

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The Themes of Our Lives

I think I’m made up of a special mix – somewhere between odd, a little funny and slightly special – some have even mentioned quirky.  Well, whatever I am, the people around me have seemed to except and embrace me.  Yes, there have been occasional times when my friends and family just has to go along with my current obsession and just hope I get past it soon.  Sometimes, though, I think I have good obsessions – at least once per year on New Year’s Eve.

I’m not a very good holiday person.  For the most part, I think holidays have become a complete over-blown joke and just a reason for people to buy buy buy more stuff stuff stuff.  Because of that, there’s huge aisles for storage containers for our stuff that can’t live without.  I enjoy other people’s stuff but I just don’t want that much of my own.  Feeling overwhelmed at Christmas, I couldn’t even bring myself to put up a tree or decorations.  I kind of realized that I was being fairly pathetic and had my folks find a small table-top tree on clearance the day after Christmas in high hopes that in one year’s time, I will manage to find some Christmas spirit and that the small tree will save Christmas 2012 in the Olson household.  The jury will be deliberating for about 365 days.

Not being completely against holidays, while Halloween is my very favorite,  New Year’s Eve is a close second.  I love the thought of the year coming to an end and the deliciousness of the thoughts of what lies ahead as I change out the old calendar for a brand new, clean slate of dates.  Some years ago, our household opted for hosting an annual New Year’s Eve event.  The event has morphed into something that we look forward to all year long-even despite the worries, fears and stresses of day-to-day life.

Cooking fun and extraordinary dishes has become a way for us to travel the world and never even pack an overnight bag.  We can invite friends over and together, we can take culinary vacations.  In past years, we’ve traveled to Hawaii, France and Mexico together.  This year, we explored the Middle East.  We savored dishes with odd names such as tagine, paneer, naan and m’hanncha, among other delicacies with strange but palatable flavors.  Smiles and laughter abound during our travels together.

On the morning of January 1st as I surveyed the remnants of our journey, I thought about how these country community potlucks always bring out the best in people.  It’s a wonderful thing when we rise to accept a challenge of something new and unique and still manage to be able to blend our flavors together.   Sometimes a potluck gains a much higher status-not only are we providing nourishment for the body, we are also feeding each others souls.  At this point, you may be wondering what direction I am taking.  Think about it- we nourish one another in many ways each day.  We take chicken soup to the sick.  We take a pan of lasagna to a grieving family.  We bake a birthday cake for a friend.  Sometimes, we whip up a salad or a batch of brownies for a fundraising event.  In all these ways, we are being community.

I’m not sure where my culinary travels are leading me next-perhaps to Cajun country or Jamaica.  Maybe my explorations will be within walking distance.  One never really knows.  Soon, though, our calendar blocks will begin filling and the new year will once again pass by in the wink of an eye.  Let’s remember to keep nourishing one another-that, my friends, should be the real ‘theme of our lives.’

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Geyser This Week-December 25-January 1

Wowzers!  We are celebrating the holidays AND changing to new calendars—all in one little week…

* Just a reminder, FCE and Geyser Elementary are currently doing a “Coat Drive” for the Mercy Home.  We are excepting gently used winter items: coats, hats, mittens, snowpants, etc…..either drop them off at the school, senior center or even my house..!

On This Week’s Agenda:

Family Time!!!!

Monday:  Federal Holiday

Wednesday:
Geyser Community Council Meeting – 7pm- to be held in the Geyser Community Building on Main Street.  On the agenda:  Pitch Tourney and 2012 goal planning.  Everyone always welcome to attend-we’re open to fresh ideas and/or community commentary!  See you then.

Thursday:
Lunch at the Senior Center:  Surprise!  Cook’s Choice

Saturday: New Year’s Eve Festivities:

Quote of the Day:  Of course, I found a couple I really like….
“Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man and work like a dog.” (Caroline K. Simon)
“Chance is always powerful.  Let your hook by always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.” (Ovid)

Okay….we also need to really start gearing up for the Pitch Tourney to be held on Sunday, January 15th 2-5 at the Geyser/Raynesford Senior Center.  This is an old-fashioned event complete with snacks, fun and prizes.  If you are interested or know of someone who may be interested, please contact either me.  We’ll need some ‘rough’ numbers to make sure we have adequate everything….This should be relaxing, fun and perhaps a bit exciting.  All proceeds to benefit the Horizons Program and the Geyser Community.

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Coal in My Stocking-Again

Only a few days before Christmas, I was on the phone with a customer.  He and I have gotten to know one another quite well over these years in working together.  I’ve been known to occasionally get caught up in a conversation and love to banter when time allows.  On this particular day, things were fairly in control and I got into a very spirited conversation.  The gentleman (that’s a polite but very loose term) asked me what Santa was bringing me for Christmas.  At this point, I was on a roll and told him that over the years, I’d been so naughty that Santa had brought me enough coal over the years to heat my house for a whole year!  We laughed, wished each other a very Merry Christmas and that was that.  Of course, me being me, I replayed the conversation in my head several more times and chuckled each time.

Because I love the ease of looking up the most sporadic information on the internet, I thought I’d peruse the myths and stories behind ‘getting coal in your stocking.’    I glanced through a myriad of references ranging from Saint Nicholas secretly leaving gold coins in stockings for three very beautiful girls whose father was too poor to give them a dowry to Sicilian folklore involving  a lady, Le Befana, who was looking Jesus and on her search left toys for good children and coal for naughty children.

I know that for a child, finding a simple lump of coal would be the worst and cruelest possible form of nightmares.  How awful for brothers and sisters to be squealing in delight and the “naughty” child to reach in and find a simple and dirty lump of coal. I’m thinking parents throughout the generations have attempted to find ways to plant a seed of fear and doubt in the minds of the unruly.  I’m not being judgmental, I’m mostly thinking, “good for them!”

In my research, I found websites selling fake coal!  At the Dollar Store in the Christmas aisle, we found little red bags with little fake chunks of coal.  We laugh and joke with one another about being Naughty or Nice.  There are songs, there are poems and there are rhymes.  Being that these legends, stories and fables date back hundreds of years, I had also wondered if there wasn’t some sort of truth.  In periods of desperate poverty, it seems to me that a receiving a gift such as coal wouldn’t have been that bad.  Think about it.  You can use that coal to provide heat or a method of cooking meals.  Sadly, I could find no references.

With the new calendar year looming, no not looming, beckoning, I am anxious prove myself worthy to be checked in Santa’s excel sheet in the “nice” column.  I’m positive that that little check mark will waiver back and forth throughout the year but 2012 will prove to be my most victorious year on record.  Of course, this is pure conjecture but still a goal worthy of aspiring to.  I looked up biblical references for the number 11 and the number 12.  While 11 meant disorder and imperfection, joyously, the number 12 signifies perfection of government.  I will be glad to leave behind the disorder and aim my vessel towards perfection of government-both self, community and world. What will the New Year bring?   I can easily answer: hope, happiness, love and goodwill towards man.

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