Sustain Family Traditions

Sustainably Sadie

Sustain Family Traditions

Despite stress-induced Grinchiness (a condition resulting in Grinch-like behavior during the holidays), there is something magical about this time of year.  Getting to spend time with family, enjoying special meals and holiday treats, tucked away together against the cold and snow—it’s idyllic and sweet.   When asked what special holiday traditions I treasure, my mind jumps to the seafood feast we indulge in Christmas Eve.  When we were younger, my brother and I would get to open one present early on Christmas Eve, as prelude to the big event.  Now it is more about the crab legs dipped in butter. 

Ice skating is also a holiday institution in the Clark household.  And since my Dad’s 50^th birthday, skating has meant Hockey, but when we were young there was also skating on the slough and irrigation ditch through Waterloo pastures.  What holiday traditions do you treasure most?  Is it easy to maintain those family rituals? Or does Life sometimes get in the way of baking with your children, going to the favorite sledding hill, or getting to Grandma’s for hot chocolate? 

Create new traditions!  Focus on the small things, like creating decorations with the kids, or checking out the neighborhood Christmas lights.  It can be difficult to break away from your parents’ traditions.  Be gentle and try including them when making a stand (such as doing Christmas Eve at your house this year).   

Family traditions are beautiful, passed down through the years and shaped by changes we experience in life.  Going to Church together, family ski vacations, shopping trips, visiting hot springs or simply being together puts a shine and glimmer on this time of year.  Celebrate the Solstice and change of seasons!  Celebrate the shortest day of the year (December 22) and the fact that the days will be getting longer!

Check out the blog, www.sustainablysadie.blogspot.com and share your favorite family traditions.   

Twin Bits

The River’s Edge Gallery is open from 10 am to 4 pm every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until Christmas Eve.  Contact Joie, 596-1969, to make arrangements to visit the Gallery after hours.  There are some amazing (and affordable) locally crafted items.  The Winter Bazaar has been cancelled for the rest of the season—too few customers.  The Twin Bridges Farmer’s Market has been scheduled to begin May 12, 2012.   

From the TBS Calendar:

Christmas Vacation until Wednesday, January 4, 2012! 

Jr Hi Boys Basketball practice starts Jan. 4.

Friday Jan. 6 Basketball in Whitehall

Saturday Jan 7: Speech & Drama @ Loyola; Basketball at Lone Peak

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post comments at www.sustainablysadie.blogspot.com.  Email sustainablysadie@hotmail.com.  Call my cell (406) 531-1422.

Sarah Miller

P.O. Box 491        Twin Bridges, MT 59754

Sustain the Inner Child

Sustainably Sadie

Sustain the Inner Child

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but sometimes I just want to throw the biggest temper tantrum—kicking and screaming on the floor, “No more Christmas shopping, no more decorating, no more guilt, no more baking, no more bills, no more debt, no no no!”  It would, of course, be inappropriate to release the inner 3 year-old, but during the difficult times that accompany the Holiday Season it is important to indulge your Inner Child.  It is appropriate to be playful.  Entertain friends (play dates), participate in winter sports: hockey, skiing, skating, curling, tobogganing, snow-shoeing, and snowball fights (play games), enjoy music of the season (go to an elementary music concert), and create beautiful, unique handmade gifts in lieu of expensive Made in China not-necessaries. 

I’m still hoping for the time to make wine glass charms before Christmas.  I was going to enlist daughter, Eva, to help with the beading and metal twisting.  We took a beading class together last winter at The River’s Edge Gallery in TB, and it can be a fun mother-daughter activity…it can also be a frustrating disaster as I often find craft activities…or cookie decorating.  At some point during the project, I end up screaming, “Why did I think this would be a good idea?”  Two hundred cut-out, insanely decorated sugar cookies later and daughter is watching a Christmas show and I’m washing dishes.  But you have to laugh and you have to forgive yourself for the disasters.  You have to sustain that bonding time spent in the kitchen during the Holidays.  And getting through family time can mean leaning on the little person inside.  Find joy in the little things. 

I have found joy from living in this community.  There is so much giving and love being shared in our little valley.  Of course there could always be more but we should be proud of ourselves and our hard work.  Perhaps like children, puff up the chest and brag about a grade on a paper, a beautiful art project, an A+ on a test…Sustain the Inner Child.  Find time to play!  And comment at www.sustainablysadie.blogspot.com!

Twin Bits

The skating rink in Twin has been flooded.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate to make for nice ice!  Family skate time is a great way to spend the Holidays.  Remember the hot chocolate and arnica for bruises.  Metal folding chairs are an excellent aid for learning skaters, as well as hockey sticks or brooms. 

The 51^st Annual Veterans VFW/ American Legion Christmas Dinner is Saturday, December 17, from 5 to 7 pm in the TBS cafeteria with raffle to follow.  The prizes include rifle with scope, a quilt, and over 60 door prizes. 

The River’s Edge Gallery is open from 10 am to 4 pm every Thursday, Friday, and

 Saturday until Christmas Eve.  Contact Joie, 596-1969, to make arrangements to visit 

the Gallery after hours.  There are some amazing (and affordable) locally crafted items. 

Also as a reminder, the Winter Bazaar—the winter version of the Twin Bridges Farmer’s 

Market-- is every third Saturday, October thru April 2012, 9 am to Noon.   

Free Refreshments!  And the December 17th Bazaar will be packed with vendors 

providing all gifts and treats locally and lovingly crafted.   Coree Martin is the contact 

for this event:  cmartin@3rivers.net or 596-1978.  

From the TBS Calendar:

Dec. 16: Basketball at Gardiner, 2:30 pm, Wrestling Tourney in Great Falls

Saturday December 17:  Speech & Drama in Belgrade; Basketball v. Ennis in Twin starting 11 am

Sunday Dec. 18:  Perry Church Group Mtg, MP Gym; Trailblazers 4-H mtg in the Lunchroom. 

Monday Dec. 19:  Basketball at West Yellowstone, 1:30 pm

Tuesday Dec. 20:  Elementary Holiday Program, MP Gym, 6:30 pm

Wednesday December 21^st, Early Out at 12:30pm…Christmas Vacation for

TB students!  School resumes Wednesday January 4, 2012.

Post comments at www.sustainablysadie.blogspot.com.  Email sustainablysadie@hotmail.com.  Call my cell (406) 531-1422.

Sarah Miller

Correction to Twin Bits

I need to make a correction to the Twin Bits portion of Sustainably Sadie in the December 8, 2011 edition of the Madisonian.  The American Legion dinner will be 5 pm, Saturday Dec. 17 at the TBS Cafeteria, with raffle to follow at MP Gym at 7 pm. 

Introducing Sustainably Sadie Blog

submitted to The Madisonian, December 5, 2011

Check out the new blog, www.sustainablysadie.blogspot.com for my suggestions and tips for sustainable living.  My husband and I have a long-term goal to someday be 100% self-sustained.  There are many ways to live a sustainable life, and there are some realities that prevent a 100% self-sustained lifestyle.  I mean, we love our coffee.  We have a coffee business and coffee will not grow here in Montana.  We love Montana.  Therefore, we know that we will have to work so much to pay for coffee shipped from the equator—where the stuff grows. 

I strongly believe in the Buy Local movement, so much so that I chair the Buy Local committee of the GRVCCA and work hard at marketing and informing the public of the importance of supporting local businesses.  Check out the Ruby Valley Buy Local Gift Guide…find it at your local merchant or print your own pdf copy from the chamber website, www.rubyvalleychamber.com.  I’ve gotten some great, positive feedback: “I didn’t know you could get half this stuff in the Ruby Valley…” and that is what Buy Local is all about.  Informing the public and other business owners of what is available locally.  Supporting the local economy will help to sustain that economy.  And what we, Buy Local and local merchants, business owners, what we need is feedback.  We need your ideas, wants, desires.  We need you to email, post suggestions, make phone calls (at reasonable hours!).  We need to hear from you! 

Post sustainably ideas at the new blog, or email sustainablysadie@hotmail.com .  Check out the Ruby Valley Buy Local blog, www.rubyvalleybuylocal.com.  Look for us on Facebook.  Working together, we can sustain our local economy – maintaining community cohesion and building a place where we can encourage kids to stay after graduation. 

Shop Local This Holiday Season

Living a sustainable life means living within your means.  It means looking at your budget and only spending what you can afford after you pay for your household necessities.  A sustainable system sustains life within the system.  The Buy Local movement is about sustainability and sustaining the local economy and community.  Sustainability and Buy Local (widespread buzz words) go hand-in-hand.

The viral Craigslist/ Facebook article from a few weeks ago was emailed to me at least a dozen times.  The article highlights awesome Buy Local suggestions as a way to combat the Asian invasion of cheap, plastic, non-necessary crap that floods store shelves this time of year.  Suggestions include computer tune-ups from a local guys, a cleaning lady for mom, gift certificates for local restaurants and many other local service industry ideas. 

In large box stores, before October 31st, Halloween was whisked away and Christmas began its nauseating permeation into every crevice, crook, and cranny...carols blasting from speakers, goofy dancing, singing figurines, tinsel, lights, outfits, hoopla, and it was still October.  Information I found on the internet suggested small businesses plan for the holidays early on and take advantage of the Wall Street Protests.  Even Wal*Mart is buying into the Shop Local campaign.  Avoid the pressure from advertisers, plan a Holiday Budget, and look at your local sources first this Holiday Season.

Only spend what you can afford.  In my family, we have been guilty of over-doing it at Christmas for many, many years.  My husband and I are trying so hard to spend smart this holiday season...I started shopping early.  I'm planning my craft/ art project gifts.  We love to give, and we are trying extra-hard to make sure that our gifts come from the heart and close to home. 

The Greater Ruby Valley Chamber of Commerce (GRVCCA) Buy Local committee has produced a Ruby Valley Buy Local Gift Guide.  Inside are some suggestions for Gifts under $20 as well as Creative Ruby Valley Gift Ideas.  While shopping with a local retailer, look for a copy of the Gift Guide by the cash register or online at Ruby Valley Chamber and print the pdf version.