I'm in awe of God's awesome Wonders

As most of you know I live in Montana, where the weather changes faster than I can change my under ware. Most of our weather conditions are high winds, snow (that usually falls and melts the next day), high winds and wild fires, high winds, and flash flood warnings. This year has been quite a bit different for us folk.

Our winter seemed to last longer than the norm, and the snow didn't melt within a day or two. It even continued to snow into April. So, there really was no chance for us to have April showers to bring May flowers. Instead, May came and with it came some rain, than June came and brought a lot more rain, more than I've seen in the 5 1/2 years since I've lived here. We've had more "severe storm warnings" than I can ever remember as well. Like I mentioned, we are use to the high winds all year long, no matter the weather. In the past week we have had 2 or 3 tornado warnings, which is really abnormal for us. We listen to the warnings and think OK its going to pass us.

Not so much the case today. Or weather alert flashed and warned us of severe thunderstorms, than within in minutes it went from that to tornado warnings. OK, heard that all week. Again it flashes and says funnel clouds have touched down in Billings and a few have been spotted between billings and Ballentine. So the excitement begins. We are right in the middle of that path. I hurry and gather the kiddos get them downstairs with snacks and some games, give them my firm rules, and I head outside to see if I can spot one.

Well, I didn't get to spot one all we got out in Shepherd, was the typical high winds and rain. However Billings was not so lucky. The funnel cloud that touched down in Billings, tore the roof off of our major events centre, Rimrock Auto Arena. Leveled out a auto glass repair shop, destroyed a dance studio and an marine shop, and my most favorite... It destroyed the McDonald's sign. I love this picture so much because this really symbolizes how I feel about McDonald's. Sad circumstance, I know.

The tornado was only a F2, not too bad for those that experience them a lot more than us Montanians. None the less it did some great damage.

Thanks to our Jr High/High School pastor and his wife for putting us on the map. The pastors wife took some footage from her phone and posted it to Facebook, and within seconds it spread like wild fire. Than within half hour of them posting it, they were getting tweets from CNN, ABC, CBS, all wanting to BUY the little 2 minute clip from them, than after that CNN calls and wants to do a live phone interview. Now thinking of the circumstance and how close they were, I am overly surprised in how the wife reacted. She was VERY calm, considering her normal self. She only cussed once, and got bleeped on national television. I think for most of us, our reactions would have been much different!

I am really excited that they were the ones that experienced this, simply because when Kyle preaches, he uses his personal experiences to get his message across. I love that he does that so, the kids can relate. I can't wait to hear the message this creates. God has a plan for him and I know that He put Kyle there at that moment so, he can use it to glorify God.

After all was said and done, the calm after the storm was amazing. The sun came out sky was blue, birds were singing and there was this amazing peace outside. I am in complete awe of God's awesome wonders.

May God Bless you and your & keep you safe in what ever "storm" you may be going through.

We Need Jewlery.

This is a copy of a plea from a friend's co-worker. She is a rural country Doc. She tells the whole story better than I can so I will just cut and paste her plea and please feel free to pass it on to others.


It all started with a fateful call from the nursing home. "We need you to come take care of Ernie's jewelry!" Despite being more than 40 years my senior, Ernie was a great friend, and we'd both been dismayed when she had to move from assisted living into the nursing home. She'd been there a while, with me as her physician, and this was a new development. Ernie had traveled extensively, loved beauty and being surrounded with beautiful things. When she moved to Heritage Acres she took an oriental trunk with her. It was reported to be filled with gold and jewels (her words), but I'd never been privy to the contents. Now her body was failing and, with decreased oxygen to her brain, her thought processes had changed. Rather than remaining her secretive stubborn self, she was talking to everyone about the contents of her magic box, and the nursing home administrator was becoming concerned about the liability of the facility. So Natasha (her lawyer), Ernie, and I spent some incredible hours cataloging her treasures. There were small bars of solid gold, gold nuggets from a mine, yogo sapphires, and a treasure trove of costume jewelry that we all wanted to play with. When Ernie died a few days later, all her beauties disappeared with her daughter, never to be seen again. We all hope that at one time or another her daughter had heard the stories that made Ernie's eyes shine with delight over a pair of gaudy earrings, made her laugh with joy over a simple bracelet, and made her cry over her infirmities that made her unable to dance around in her finery.Soon thereafter my Cousin Tommy's wife Donna died of metastatic breast cancer. It hadn't been long after her "5 year cancer free" milestone was reached that the tumors recurred rapidly, stealing her health and her joy and their hope.At about the same time my recycling efforts were being thwarted because I couldn't find any place locally to recycle glass or plastic.Our clinic had been involved with the Relay for Life portion of the American Cancer Society for years and had had bake sales at the IGA (grocery store), rummage sales at the Clinic, raffles, etc. I was struggling to find a way to raise money without having to sit at a table at the grocery store or to haul out white elephants into the clinic parking lot (and to convince someone that they really needed to buy them). I thought of Donna, of Ernie, of all the people in Big Horn County who were broke but loved beautiful things - and said to myself “recycled jewelry will work!" Since then we have had 5 "New to You" jewelry sales and have raised more than $24,000 for the ACS. Most of our sales are 50 cents or a dollar, since most donations are "outdated costume jewelry" that just isn't the thing any more. But we've been amazed by the overwhelming generosity of people who can't afford a monetary donation but can clean out their jewelry box or their junk drawer or their deceased great aunt's boxes. One woman dropped off a 5 gallon bucket of earrings (all loose) that weighted over 32 pounds and contained clip-on plastic skateboard earrings and glow in the dark skeleton earrings and phenomenally beautiful rhinestone earrings by Weiss. Another unidentified woman dropped off a sandwich bag that contained 6 genuine diamond rings. A welfare patient removed his necklace because it was the only jewelry the family had and he wanted to contribute. We've had donations of jewelry made of gold, silver, garnet, crystal, agate, plastic, wood; we've had things made of feathers and beads and uranium that glows in the dark; earrings that have been beaded and tatted and crocheted and carved from antlers...Our Hardin Clinic Relay for Life team has requested donations form everyone we can think of, including friends, family, patients, pharmaceutical reps, our surrounding clinics/hospitals. We've visited all the local (within 50 miles) pawn shops and jewelry stores and thrift stores looking for donations - including boxes or bags to put jewelry in, "necks" to display necklaces on, advertising, as well as things to sell including jewelry, jewelry boxes, watches, etc.. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, except for a few instances (like the diamond merchant who couldn't think of any way he could help us, because then he'd have to help anyone that stopped by his office...). We’ve been fortunate that the local media, including the Original Briefs, the Big Horn County News, and the Billings Gazette, as well as several local radio stations, have been willing to give us free advertising. The Goldsmith Gallery in Billings has really supported our efforts, donating a tourmaline cross, a diamond for a ring that wasn't complete, and emerald earrings and a necklace.Unfortunately, the people in our area of Eastern Montana have exhausted the supply of jewelry that they can part with, and we have to look further afield. We thought that if we could get a small mention in newspapers across the United States, we might be able to reach our goal ($100,000!); we can sell it if we can get it! We're getting really good at repairing jewelry, cleaning and polishing, and creative uses. Clip-on earrings and screw-in earrings can be used as pins, on chains as necklaces, as ornaments on wineglasses or hairclips or purses...You can hang bracelets on your towel racks or doorknobs or on your gearshift of your car. We can find a new home for almost any jewelry. Something one person hates may be someone else's hearts desire.So we are hoping to send this to people across the country, believing that people will be willing to open up their hearts, and their jewelry boxes, for an incredibly good cause. 100% of our proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society! I'm hoping to send this plea out as an email; you can't believe what I've spent on stamps so far!!! Unfortunately, I don't know where to send it.If you, or your friends or anyone else would like to donate something, it can be sent to the Hardin Clinic Relay for Life team at the Hardin Clinic, 16 N. Miles, Hardin, Montana 59034. We are a clinic with 5 providers, 6 nurses, 6 business office people, and one custodian; we live in a town of about 2500 people. We have all been very involved in the fundraising efforts. Actually, by now almost everyone in town has been involved in one way or another - donating jewelry, providing advertising or space to have our sales, working at the sales, etc. Our next sale is planned for the end of June if we can find enough to sell. Please give us a thought next time you are cleaning the house, getting dressed up to go out, or trying to streamline your possessions.My brother has always said "If you are going to think, think big". We would like to expand out of our little area. We would be thrilled if there were some way to get donations from each county in Montana, or better yet, from every state in our great country. So far we've raised almost $1000 per person in Hardin; if we could get each person who reads this to ask their mother and their brother and their great aunt to put a ring or a pair of earrings or a necklace into an envelope and mail it to the Hardin Clinic we could really raise a lot of money for the American Cancer Society! We'd really appreciate the help, wherever we could get it. It is definitely a win-win situation!Thanks so much! Please email this to all your friends, acquaintances, jewelry lovers, rich people who are feeling generous, etc!!!


If you are interested in donating anything please feel free to contact, The Country Doc.

Ralphy Ralph

Who was Ralphy Ralph or Ralph Man?

Well, at first Ralphy was a dog that I told myself I would just deal with, being as he was not a big dog. Then he was the dog I had to protect. We were living in our old house at the time, which was a split level and we were up stairs when this BIG scream came from the living room. So we drop everything and run to see what was the matter. It was Ocean holding her ear. As were trying to calm her down to see what had happened she said "Ralphy bit me" so, without hesitation Steve proceeded to go discipline him. Than I had to leave Ocean be for a min, and go protect this dog that I didn't care too much for. After all it really was not his fault that he bit her. Ocean was about 4 at the time and Ralphy was her first pet. She really didn't understand dog language, but I assure it only took that one time.

After becoming the protector, I became VERY annoyed with "this stupid dog". He would follow me EVERYWHERE, and I mean EVERYWHERE! He would sit RIGHT outside the bathroom door. He would run out the door when he heard my keys and want to come for a ride. If I didn't take him for a ride he would run down the stairs and run circles around and greet me. So, your probably thinking that's not so bad. Well looking back it wasn't but, it got worse. When I would try and have snuggle time with Steve, Ralphy became jealous and would nip at Steve. LOL OK, kind of weird, after all he was Steve's dog. Why would he be turning on him? Ralphy started to not listen to Steve, and would only listen to me. SO, now I had to be his boss! All this for a dog I didn't want to care for.

This went on for a few weeks. Then we found out that we were pregnant! OK not the news we wanted at the time but OK! As my belly started to grow, Ralphy became even more protective. My husband and the father of my child was not allowed to touch my belly in the presence of Ralphy, because if he did, he would get bit. So, now I had to become the mean one and kick Ralphy off the bed or out of the room or wherever.

It was all starting to make perfect sense. Ralphy knew I was pregnant even before we did. He knew all my aches and pains when I was pregnant. I had a lot of hip problems with Keona's pregnancy, and lil Ralphy would come lay behind me or sit beside me and put his back on my hips. WEIRD, you think? Well kind of, but the heat from his back sure did help the aches and pains.

So, after all that and my starting to grow a liking to this lil dog. Keona was here. Keona was now Ralphy's Baby. He would go where she would go. If she was sleeping he was right there with her or laying outside the door guarding it, and would nicely and quietly come get me to let me know she was awake. If she was having a bath he was right there watching. He was SO good that he would even let me know when she needed a diaper change. You would think I could smell it on my own, but after years of working with special needs adults and some that were in diapers, you become VERY immune to the smell so, unfortunately I couldn't always smell it. Anywho, it was very cute to see how he interacted with Keona especially as she got older and a little more Mobile. He tolerated her pulling his hair and tail. Guess we could have thanked Ocean for preparing the way.

OK so I fell in love with Ralphy and became very attached, it only took me about a year! SO, about another year or two later, we went back to visit family in Canada, and unfortunately we could not take him with, because Steve was on fire call after fire call. So, Ralphy went to go spend some time with Gramma Dot. He knew who she was, because that was his first home before Steve. I felt content in knowing he would be well taken care of and well loved, and I still to this day have no hesitations that that was the case. Well... One evening there was a huge thunder and lighting storm. Ralphy HATED thunder. He would run and crawl under the bed or come jump in between us. Thunderstorms were just another way for him to get a little extra love. Anywho that evening at Gramma's, I don't know if he couldn't find a hiding spot or what, but he had a heart attack and died. Getting the news while on vacation did not go over well with any of us. Steve was out on a fire and it was just myself and the three girls. We had cried for a while. We have even tried to have a couple of dogs since. Our first attempt was a bigger dog, a golden doodle named fitz, that we bought as a baby. We had him for a few months until he became a Clifford and outgrew out apartment we were in while we built. So, Fitz went to stay with some friends of ours. Once we moved into our new house we brought Fitz home, and I still couldn't find it in me to like him so, he went back to our friends and that's his family now. Next was a lil shi tzu named Diego. Working very hard not to replace Ralphy. It was hard to love Diego because he was just like a cousin to Ralphy. I tried and tried and prayed that I could find the love in me for this lil puppy. The kids loved him but in all reality it was I that would be the one who cared for him. It ended up not working out, and we took him to a very nice shelter where he would get adopted by a family that will love him.

There was never anything wrong with Fitz or Diego. It was me. I never understood how people could get SO attached to their pets. I now understand and still to this day miss my lil buddy and companion Ralphy.