Articles Found in This Issue
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Winter Wardrobe for Dogs: Good Gets for Winter Health - Small, old, or thin-coated pooches are especially susceptible to hypothermia or frostbite. Treat your pooch to a winter wardrobe for dogs.
When Your Child is 59 ‘going on 70’: Joys of Raising Son with Downs Syndrome - Not only has the couple lived the joy, challenge, and learning curve that accompanies raising a child with downs syndrome, they’ve dedicated their lives to pioneering change in governmental support, educational opportunities, and societal views.
Photo Courtesy Tamara Earp
Wreaths Across America - December weather cannot chill the fervor volunteers for Wreaths Across America (WAA) feel in honoring deceased veterans during the holiday season.
Photo Courtesy Space Pilates
Move Slowly and More Mindfully: Pilates Helps People of All Ages - Looking like the upward part of a pushup, the plank position is one of many exercises utilized in Pilates and other low-impact exercise programs gaining favor with audiences of all ages, especially seniors.
Photo Courtesy Leann Brimmer
Accordion Lady - In harmony with the hills and tall pines that dominate the landscape of the Brimmer ranch, Hilda Brimmer plays accordion music that has spread deep roots into daily life. 
The Frantics Are Back - It has taken 50 years for Billings psych-rock band The Frantics "Birth" to see the light of day. The world finally has a chance to hear this astonishing and accomplished piece of Rock-n-Roll history with its reissue. One European music critic, Alex Carretero, says the recording is “Probably the greatest lost US psych album ever.”
Photo by Nann Parrett
The Age of Vicarious - I think there should be, for everyone between the ages of 70 and 75, a gong that sounds the warning, “This is the Dawning of the Age of Vicarious.”
Photo by Cate Huisman
Living with Moose: Adopting a Tulip-Free Lifestyle - When we bought our house in Sandpoint, Idaho in 2002, there were no moose, and there were a lot of tulips. People who lived outside of town had to build fences to protect their gardens, but not us. We had bugs and slugs. That was it. Moose lived out in the woods where moose belonged, and we rarely spotted them.That changed one snowy morning.
Serve With Me: Montana Veterans Foundation’s Willis Cruse House Helping Those Who’ve Served - For the past 16 years, Montana Veterans Foundation: The Willis Cruse House in Helena, MT, has operated under a per-diem grant issued by the National VA. This funding source ended September 2018. The organization continues to apply for grants and explore other funding opportunities, connections, and partnerships.
Photo Courtesy Culbertson Museum
Montana Pioneer Dentist Elma Brockman - Elma Brockman’s life had already been filled with adventure when she headed east on a train into Montana from Spokane in 1899. Little did she know that her life would soon take even another turn.
MSN Wins Big at 2018 NAMPA Conference - You may have noticed a new logo addition to our masthead. Our publishers Bob and Janet Hunt returned from the North American Mature Publishers Association (NAMPA) conference in October with 11 — count ‘em, ELEVEN — awards in hand for our two publications (Montana Senior News and sister publication Idaho Senior Independent). Our papers were judged in the Class B division, for publications with 25,001-50,000 circulation.
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Be Prepared to Claim Your 2018 Senior Homeowner/Renter Tax Credit - Montanans should know about one 2018 senior tax credit that could mean more money in your pocket, whether you need it to pay bills or just to spoil your grandchildren a little more. The Senior Homeowner/Renter Tax Credit is worth up to $1,000, and you can qualify for it even if you’re not required to file an income tax return. 
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A Pair of Loafers - I was 10 years old, standing in the doorway of a small trailer. Ten wooden desks were lined in two neat rows, facing a large teacher’s desk and a chalkboard. Eight kids stood facing me, and I looked at their feet. All six of the boys were wearing boots. I wanted to find a way to hide my own feet. I wished I could go back to a few weeks before when I talked my mother into buying me a pair of black loafers.
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Montana, Aging, and the Search for A Home - Seniors who search for a home look for walkable areas, trails, parks, outdoor activities nearby, shopping, restaurants, educational opportunities, and entertainment within a short walk or commute. In addition, they seek homes that provide the freedom to stay independent as they age are in high demand.
Photo Courtesy Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
A Village of Lights: Leavenworth, Washington - It’s been my good fortune to have traveled extensively during my lifetime, and much of that has taken place in the western U.S. from Alaska to Mexico. Some towns hold a special appeal and keep calling me back. Each state has probably two or three towns that hold that appeal. The small town of Leavenworth, Wash., has a particularly strong pull at Christmas.
Photo by Dev Khalsa Photography
It’s All Merry and Bright in the Wood River Valley - The Wood River Valley has sunshine — lots of it! Great venues for food and wine — so many to choose from! Super alpine and Nordic skiing, snow shoeing, ice skating, and sleigh rides galore! 
Review: Montana Women, From the Ground Up — Passionate Voices in Agriculture & Land Conservation - Montana Women, From the Ground Up shows ranching is not an easy life, but it’s one these Montana women love with a passion that has kept them going even in the toughest times. 
© Ruth Black, Bigstock.com
Gifts with A Lift: Spreading Holiday Cheer to Montana State Hospital Patients - The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) set up donation boxes at various locations to receive holiday gifts benefiting Montana State Hospital (MSH) patients, happening until Dec. 15.
Guardians from Hell Undermine Rights of Elderlies: Part 3 - Part 3 in a series on guardianship abuse: Fighting to Shed Light on the Issue
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Bring On the Sparkle for the Holidays - December and January are packed with gatherings of family and friends, and often these times find us sharing good food and great wines or sparkle for the holidays. With gift purchases and events impacting your budget, the wines presented here are both delicious and budget friendly.
Photo by Bernice Karnop
Pass Down a Legacy of Values with an Ethical Will - Juanita Rosales is leaving her legacy through an ethical will. While grandchildren may love to inherit the family jewels, they will consider it a finer inheritance if you share the story of your life journey, the lessons you’ve learned, the spiritual values that sustained you, and blessings you want to share.You Are Not Alone: Domestic Violence and Abuse Late in Life More Common than You Think - Abuse Late In Life: If a family member or intimate partner is causing you to fear for your safety, withholding medications, care, or personal items in order to control you, or causing emotional or physical injury, know that The Friendship Center is available to help you.
Photo by Suzanne Waring
Christmas Stockings A Tradition - Some years ago I read that creating traditions makes for strong, healthy families. I realize creating and continuing traditions has been my familial responsibility for the last 25 years.
Photo Courtesy Montana Alzheimer's Association
Alzheimer’s Warnings Often Show During Holidays - It isn’t surprising that the time when family members are most likely to recognize the first signs of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in a loved one comes during the holiday season. Family members and friends who have not seen one another for months, or even a year, gather, and the signs of memory loss or behavioral change become obvious.
Photo by Suzanne Waring
Saving the Historic Central School in Roundup - In Montana, old buildings are a part of the state’s history. If we take care of our important old buildings instead of demolishing them, we can pass them down to our children and grandchildren as one way to pass on our heritage. The beautiful Central School in Roundup, Mont., is an example of a building that should be kept and repurposed.
Give the Grandkids the Gift of Montana - If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your grandchildren, I think I may have found it for you. It’s called Montana for Kids: The Story of Our State, written and illustrated by Allen Morris Jones.
Photo by Gail Jokerst
Story-Keeper for the Flathead: Jane Renfrow - For Jane Renfrow, preserving the Flathead’s history isn’t just an engrossing pastime — it’s an unapologetic passion. Admittedly, though, she is fascinated by history in general.
