My nephew, Chris Kirk joined our family when he married my niece, Siara Harman on July 23, 2022. Recently, Chris and Siara bought a house, and they have been spending time fixing it up to be the way they want it to be. Owning a home has long been a dream for Chris. He likes working on things, and you just can’t in an apartment. So, he has really enjoyed working on things, and basically doing all the “handy man stuff” that he couldn’t before. So far, he has painted the house with Siara’s mom and dad, Chantel and Dave Balcerzak. They have also sanded floors, fixed toilets, put blinds up, and added transitions. Siara tells me that “He will be doing a lot more, but he is doing great and being so patient with it all!!” Much of these things were things that Siara couldn’t really help with, because they are expecting their first child together. 
Adding to their family is a big step, and Chris wants to be ready in every way. He has been taking on a lot of extra shifts at work to keep us on top and set for their sweet baby. That is huge, because he wants to be able to relax, knowing that he had made everything ready for him and Siara, since she will have some time off work after the baby arrives. Siara tells me that Chris is the hardest worker she knows. Chris is really enjoying all the “baby changes” in Siara. Feeling the baby kicking is one of his favorite things to do. Siara feels so comfortable that Chris is going to be a great dad and provider for their little family, now and on into the future, as they add to their family later on.
Chris is so good to his in-laws too. He enjoys doing thing for them, and with them. They all get along so well. Chris is a friendly sort of guy and wants to fit in well with the family he married into. He and Siara’s brother, 
Jake Harman and his family get along great too. Siara and Jake are close, so knowing that her husband and brother are friends is comforting too. They all went hiking a number of times over the summer and had a great time. I think Chris is one of those people who gets along well with everyone…someone who never met a stranger, and someone that people want to be around. At least, that is what I get from anyone who knows him. Today is Chris’ birthday. Happy birthday Chris!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Susan Griffith is a multi-faceted woman. First and foremost, she is a wife and mother. That is and has been her life since her oldest daughter, Jala Satterwhite was born in 2002. Susan was a single mom until she met and married Josh Griffith. They were married on June 6, 2006, and Josh became Susan’s biggest fan. They also became the parents of a daughter named Kaylyn Griffith. He was always encouraging her to excel. One of the first ways was when they decided to get into horses. Josh had been around them for a long time, maybe his whole life, but Susan was a little intimidated by them. Josh was patient with her and worked with her, and before long, she was much more comfortable with them. Recently, Josh had the idea to take Susan on their first “pack” trip. A “pack” trip is when the horses pack your gear into the camp site. The trip was just an overnight trip in the Beartooth Mountains, but it was just the two of them, so it was very romantic. The girls, Jala and Kaytlyn didn’t go with them, although both girls are very proficient with the horses. Susan said, “It was just him and me, so it kind of felt like it was a date.” It was for Josh’s birthday, but then who needs an excuse for a date night.
Josh also encourages Susan when it comes to her career. Recently, Susan made a bold step with Josh’s help. She decided to open her own business. It was an idea that Susan had in mind for a long time, but together, 
they made it a reality, and it is called The Way West Enterprises, LLC. and it’s going very well. Susan is ready to take on new clients, and she is very excited about the future, both for herself and her company. Susan has even become a mentor for her daughter, Jala, who started her own business too…called SafeHaven Home and Pet Care.
Susan and Josh have a beautiful place outside of Powell, that is their retreat. It is the place where they feel most complete. I never thought of Susan as a country girl, but I think she is flourishing in all of her roles in life. Susan is a capable woman, and when she sets her mind to something, she is an amazing success. Today is Susan’s birthday. Happy birthday Susan!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Dustie Masterson, joined our family a little over twenty years ago, when she married my nephew, Rob Masterson. They were perfect for each other from the very start, and they have built a wonderful life together. In addition to Rob’s daughter Christina Masterson, they added Raelynn, Matt, and Taylor to their family. Rob’s thought on his sweet wife, “She’s a looker!!” That says it all doesn’t it. Rob is so in love with his bride, and as it goes with long term marriages, the love grows stronger and sweeter every day.
A few years back, Dustie switched jobs, going from Sam’s Club to Walgreen’s. Now she is assistant manager at Walgreen’s. Part of becoming the assistant manager or manager (down the road) is that she must study and obtain her pharmacy assistant license. For many people, 
that could be a daunting task. Dustie passed the test on her first try, something she and everyone else, is quite proud of. Dustie absolutely loves her job, and she is so good at it. Dustie is one of those bosses who has the ability to make people want to do well. They want to make her proud of them. They work hard to please her. That’s loyalty.
While Dustie loves her job, her real world is her family. They are her reason for living. She is so proud of each of them. She encourages them to do well and supports them no matter what. Dustie is such a positive influence on her whole family. Recently, Rob had to have a procedure done on his knee. It’s basically burning the nerves to reduce pain. Radiofrequency Ablation (its scientific name) sounds awful, but patients can return to normal activity sooner than other procedures. Still, Rob was down for a time. Dustie and the kids took care of him while he recuperated. It’s all just part of what she does. Dustie has also been known to help my sister, her mother-in-law, Cheryl Masterson whenever she is able. She has a very kind and giving heart, but Dustie also 
has a great sense of humor. She loves joking around with her family and friends, and in general just being silly. I think Dustie takes the view that if you can’t laugh and smile, then you need to take on a new outlook…one that includes God. I think she is right. Truly, Dustie has been a friend to all of our family from the moment we first met her. Her sweet personality, and willingness to join our family as not just an in-law, but as one of us, makes her fit right in. I can’t imagine our lives without Dustie in them. Today is Dustie’s birthday. Happy birthday Dustie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My aunt, Sandy Pattan is the youngest of my mom, Collene Spencer’s siblings. By the time Aunt Sandy came along, some of her older siblings were already dating. and when she was just two years old, her sister Evelyn got married. By the time Aunt Sandy was three years old, she was an aunt. That is very young, but then some kids are born aunts and uncles. They actually have nieces and nephews who are older than they are. That idea is really something to wrap your head around, but then again, for those born into it, being an aunt or uncle at birth is just normal. For Aunt Sandy, being an aunt is all she remembers.
Aunt Sandy has long been the keeper of the family traditions. She made the arrangements for the annual Christmas party and the summer picnic. She worked so hard to keep the family together and to fulfill the wishes of her parents, Grandma (Hattie) and Grandpa (George) Byer, who asked that the family not drift apart, but continue in the traditions they had started. Aunt Sandy embraced that dream of a close family, and for 
many years, she worked very hard to carry out and establish their wishes. And she did it well. In the earlier years after Grandma and Grandpa went home to Heaven, Aunt Sandy had lots of help, because everyone got involved, but as the years went by and some of her siblings went to Heaven too, the help became less and less. Still, she persevered. These days the next generation has stepped up and let Aunt Sandy “retire” from the family get-togethers chair. Sadly, the participators have dwindled, and we just hope to have enough people to continue. That is up to the family, I guess.
Aunt Sandy has always lived in her own place. She tells me that she has never lived in an apartment, but that is about to change too, as she makes plans to move into an apartment in Casper. It is not an assisted living…she doesn’t need that, and she is not sure apartment living will suit her. Time will tell. If not, she can always buy another place, if she chooses. Still, I think she might like it, because the yard and building maintenance will 
no longer be her responsibility, and the grounds are nice, so she can get out and enjoy them…in the warm months anyway. And best of all, she won’t have to water the lawn or shovel the walks. I am excited for this new chapter in her life, even if she is apprehensive. I pray it will be such a great blessing for her, that she chooses to stay, relax, and enjoy it. I think it will be a wonderful new start. Today in Aunt Sandy’s 78th birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Sandy!! We love you!!
My nephew, Tucker Schulenberg is a younger uncle, and while many people might think that would seem weird, Tucker loves every minute of it. He has been an uncle for much of his life, really, because his big sister, Cassie Franklin has three kids, Lucas, Zoey, and Alicen. Tucker is also uncle to his brother, Riley Birky’s two boys, Jace (Riley’s bonus son) and Ryder. Tucker loves kids and is a great source of entertainment for them. He is a teenager, but he is and probably always will be a kid at heart. Tucker is a source of help to his brother, Riley and his fiancée, Sierah Martin. He helps out with watching their boys and keeping them happy and out of trouble. The little boys look up to him and like most little kids, want to be just like their uncle.
Tucker, went through some tough times after his mom, Rachel Schulenberg passed away. Rachel was such a great mom, and these days, Tucker and his siblings just try to live in a way that would make her proud of them. It’s hard to believe that Rachel has been gone now for going on 3 years. Tucker has grown up so much in those years, and I know his mom would be amazed at the young man he has become. He has gone from being an early teenager, to a young man who will soon have his driver’s license and be able to help out running errands, and possible even have a job.
Tucker isn’t really a fan of traditional school, but it is my hope that he will at least continue his schooling online. I know that school is hard, but it is a necessary part of growing up, and I know his mom would want him to have the best education he can get. I think Tucker probably has a mechanical mind like his dad, Ron Schulenberg, uncles and cousins. It tends to run in the family, and his brother likes to tinker as well. Whatever Tucker decides to do with his life, I know he will be successful and will make his mom proud. She loved her children so much, and always wanted the best for them. Tucker is a sweet young man, and I know he will become a great adult too. Today is Tucker’s 16th birthday. Happy birthday Tucker!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
People have always been risk takers…always looking for that next thrill. Many people think that the biggest risk takers are the guys, but that is not always the case. On October 24, 1901, as a birthday gift to herself on her 63rd birthday, Anna “Annie” Edson Taylor, who was an American schoolteacher, became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Annie wasn’t just out to make a name for herself, but rather her motives were purely financial. Somehow, she thought this “claim to fame” would make her rich, but she never made much money from her adventure.
Annie was born on October 24, 1838, in Auburn, New York. She was one of eight children born to Merrick Edson and Lucretia Waring. Her father owned a flour mill and died when she was 12 years old, leaving enough money to provide a comfortable living for the family. Annie took a four-year training course, graduating with honors, and became a schoolteacher. While at college, she met David Taylor. They were married and had a son who died in infancy. Sadly, her husband died soon after. During her working years, the widowed Taylor, was often between jobs and locales.
Eventually, she moved to Bay City, Michigan, planning to become a dance instructor, except that there were no dance schools in Bay City at that time. No problem…Taylor opened her own. She moved to Sault Saint Marie in 1900 to teach music. From there, she traveled to San Antonio, Texas. Then she and a friend went to Mexico City to find work, but that venture completely failed, so she returned to Bay City. All of her moving and a number of other bad choices caused Taylor to find herself in hard times, Then, her house burned down, as well as a poor investment with a clergyman left her pretty broke. She claimed to be only 42 years old at the time and said that she could make money more easily if she were younger. Because she had always associated money and class with success, Taylor believed that she needed money to hold her place in the world. So, in the 1900 Federal Census, she declared her year of birth as 1860. She thought that if she was thought to be younger, she could make money easier.
Then, in what was most likely her craziest scheme ever, and hoping to secure her later years financially, Taylor decided she would be the first person to ride over Niagara Falls in a barrel. It seems that her money-making schemes were in endless supply. Taylor used a custom-made barrel constructed of oak and iron and padded with a mattress to make for her crazy trip. The barrel launch was delayed several times, mainly because no one wanted to be part of potential suicide. Finally, she decided she would have to do this on her own. First, two days before her own attempt, Taylor sent a domestic cat over the Horseshoe Falls in her barrel to test its strength to see if the barrel would break or not. Contrary to rumors at the time, the cat survived the plunge and seventeen minutes later, after she was found with a bleeding head, posed with Taylor in photographs. Then, on her 63rd birthday, the barrel was put over the side of a rowboat, and Taylor climbed in, carrying with her, her lucky heart-shaped pillow. The lid was screwed down, and friends used a bicycle tire pump to compress the air in the barrel. They plugged the hole used for the air with a cork, and Taylor was set adrift near the American shore, south of Goat Island.
The barrel was carried by river currents over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which has since been the site for all successful daredevil stunting at Niagara Falls. Shortly after her plunge, rescuers reached her barrel. Taylor was discovered to be alive and relatively uninjured, having received just a small gash on her head. The daring trip took less than twenty minutes, but it was some time before the barrel was actually opened. Taylor was helped out of the barrel by Carlisle Graham, her friend and the first man to run the rapids on a raft. After the journey, Taylor told the press, “If it was with my dying breath, I would caution anyone against attempting the feat … I would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon, knowing it was going to blow me to pieces than make another trip over the Fall.” Finally, she spoke some sense!! 
On February 23, 1921, Taylor was taken to the Niagara County Infirmary in Lockport, New York. Still lying about her age, she claimed to be 57. She died on April 29, 1921, aged 82 and was interred next to her friend and fellow daredevil Carlisle Graham, in the “Stunter’s Rest” section of Oakwood Cemetery in Niagara Falls, New York. Since she died penniless, public donations were collected to pay the costs of her funeral, which was held on May 5, 1921. She blamed her bad health and near blindness to her trip over the falls, twenty years earlier.
My niece, Ashley Parmely has had a very busy year. Most of Ashley’s years are quite busy, so to say she has had a very busy year, is really saying something. Ashley and my nephew, Eric Parmely own a farm west of Casper, where they raise cows, chickens, turkeys, goats, pigs, horses, cats, dogs, and their four kids (three daughters and a son). Ashley is really into healthy living and raises only A2 milk cows. I didn’t know what A2 milk cows were, so I did some checking. A2 milk is a variety of cows’ milk that mostly lacks a form of B-Casein proteins called A1, and instead has mostly the A2 form. The a2 Milk Company Limited (previously known as A2 Corporation) is a dual listed NZX and ASX 50 public listed company that commercializes intellectual property relating to A1 protein-free milk that is sold under the a2 and a2 Milk brands, as well as the milk and related products such as infant formula. B-Casein is a major milk protein, representing 30% of the total protein found in cow milk. It is a member of the casein family of related phosphoproteins, which are commonly found in mammalian milk. B-Casein from bovine milk is an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-binding epitope belonging to the secretory calcium-binding phosphoprotein family. It consists of 209 amino acids and five phosphate groups. The a2 Milk Company and some companies producing 
goats’ milk products claim that milk containing A1 proteins is harmful, but there has been no widely accepted scientific work identifying a direct link between A1 protein and any adverse effect on health. Time will tell, as testing continues, but Ashley tends to agree with the current test results. If you’re like me, you probably don’t understand most of what I just said. Suffice it to say that not everything in our food is necessarily good for us. Ashley now has 2 new A2 milk cows that were both going to calf around the same time, and they birthed a day or two apart. She has been milking and feeding since that time.
Ashley has also started making Ghee. Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from the Indian subcontinent. Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from cream, skimming any impurities from the surface, then pouring and retaining the clear liquid fat while discarding the solid residue that has settled to the bottom. Spices can be added for flavor. The texture, color, and taste of ghee depend on the quality of the butter, the milk used in the process, and the duration of boiling time. Personally, I am not a fan of Ghee, but many people really like it. I guess I’m just a Butter Girl. My sister-in-law, Jennifer Parmely, who is Ashley’s mother-in-law, really likes Ghee and is quite excited about the Ghee making process. She is quite proud of Ashley’s Ghee. Maybe it depends on the person making it or the spices they use. The one I “tasted” was tasteless, so my opinion could be clouded. I might have to try Ashley’s Ghee sometime.
As I said, Ashley and Eric have four kids, and the kids keep her very busy. The oldest two (daughters) are in gymnastics, while their son and youngest daughter are playing Hockey. Her youngest daughter is in pre-school, and Ashley homeschools the older three children. The busy day starts with getting her daughter to pre-school, and later she must go pick her up too. Then, the older kids have homeschooling and field trips as well. All that m
eans that Ashley is constantly on the run. Summer was busy helping their oldest daughter with 4H projects. Last winter found the family snowed in several times. While being snowed in cramped Ashley’s busy lifestyle, she is always a good sport about it and took it all in stride. Nevertheless, I’m sure she is hoping that this winter will not be a repeat of last year’s harshness. Today is Ashley’s birthday. Happy birthday Ashley!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
When the Germans surrendered at the end of World War II, Germany was divided into four areas of control by the Allied Powers…Great Britain in the northwest, France in the southwest, the United States in the south, and the Soviet Union in the east. Berlin, the capital city situated in Soviet territory, was also divided into four occupied zones. That gave those four countries governing control over their own sections of Germany, and the people in those areas. Not every country was exactly planning to do what the people might consider to be their best interests. The Allied countries had the control and the ability to dish out punishment as they saw fit. The Soviet Union considered the forced labor of Germans as part of German war reparations for the damage inflicted by Nazi Germany on the Soviet Union during the Axis-Soviet campaigns (1941-1945) of World War II. They wanted to exact some measure of revenge, I guess, and they were in a position to make that happen.
So, the Soviet authorities deported German civilians from Germany and Eastern Europe to the USSR after World 
War II as forced laborers. It almost reminds me of what happened with the Holocaust, except that the Soviet Union had no interest in killing their captives. They wanted slave labor and a measure of retaliation. Ethnic Germans living in the USSR were conscripted for forced labor. German prisoners of war were also used as a source of forced labor during and after the war by the Soviet Union and by the Western Allies.
The decision was made and the fate of the German people was sealed. In 1946, the Soviet Union forcibly relocated more than 2,500 former Nazi German specialists, including scientists, engineers, and technicians who worked in specialist areas, from companies and institutions relevant to military and economic policy in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany (SBZ) and Berlin, along with around 4,000 family members, totaling more than 6,000 people, to the Soviet Union as war reparations. These specialists with all of their knowledge and abilities, could easily change the course of history in the Soviet Union, or any country they were placed in, for that matter. Still, not all of the forced labor were specialists. Many were unskilled labor, doing menial jobs.
The good thing was that the situation in Germany after World War II was appalling. Many of the people were homeless from the bombings. I suppose that, for that reason, the forced move, while scary, was not the worst thing in the world. It was possible that a new life in the Soviet Union could be favorable when compared to war-torn Germany. It is unclear whether any Germans who were sent to the Soviet Union chose to go back to Germany, because information about forced labor of Germans in the Soviet Union was suppressed in the Eastern Bloc until after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Many of those records could have also been destroyed.
Actually, The Medicine Lodge Treaty is the name given for three treaties that were signed near Medicine Lodge, Kansas, between the Federal government of the United States and southern Plains Indian tribes on October 21, 1867. The treaties were intended to bring peace to the area by relocating the Native Americans to reservations in Indian Territory and away from European-American settlement. The Indian Peace Commission had concluded in its final report in 1868, that the wars were completely preventable. The commission determined that the United States government and its representatives, including the United States Congress, had contributed to the warfare on the Great Plains by failing to fulfill their legal obligations and to treat the Native Americans with honesty. This fact is not a new concept for anyone who has studied history at all.
At the request of the tribal chiefs, the US government met the chiefs at a place traditional for Native American ceremonies. The first treaty was signed October 21, 1867, with the Kiowa and Comanche tribes. The second, with the Kiowa-Apache, was signed the same day. The third treaty was signed with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho on October 28, 1867. 
As expected, the Medicine Lodge Treaty, heavily favored the Congress and the white settlers. The tribes were assigned reservations of diminished size compared to the territories that had been defined in an 1865 treaty. The treaty tribes never actually ratified the treaty by vote of adult males…a requirement of the tribes. The Congress also changed the allotment policy under the Dawes Act and authorized sales under the Agreement with the Cheyenne and Arapaho (1890) and the Agreement with the Comanche, Kiowa and Apache (1892). With the agreement, signed with the Cherokee Commission, the Congress further reduced the reservation territory promised to the Indians. Lone Wolf, the Kiowa chief, immediately filed a lawsuit against the government for fraud on behalf of the tribes in Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock. The US Supreme Court ruled against the tribes in 1903, after determining that the Congress had “plenary power” and the political right to make such decisions. With the power of that decision to back them, Congress wasted no time in unilaterally acting in the same manner on land decisions related to other reservations as well.
Because of the outstanding issues with the treaty and subsequent government actions, in the mid-20th century, the Kiowa, Arapaho and Comanche filed several suits for claims against the US government. Over decades, they won substantial settlements of monetary compensation in the amount of tens of millions of dollars, although it 
took years for the cases to be resolved.
I don’t know what could have been done differently, exactly, other than to be completely fair with our treatment of the Indians. I have never liked the idea of forcing them to be on the reservations. The land they were given was far less than they should have received, and instead of letting them become members of society, where they could make an honest living, they were given compensation without the need to earn in, creating a group of people who could make no contribution to society at all. It basically took away their self-respect and their sense of worth…a situation which helped no one. The fighting continued until the last battle was fought on January 9, 1918.
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