The ANTecdote
On Ancestors and the Future
On Ancestors and the Future It is the Monday eve of Thanksgiving. I am digging through a recipe box searching for my Mom’s pecan pie recipe. It calls for both bourbon and maple syrup, so you can see why it’s a good one. I sat down to write a piece about shopping local and using our powerful dollars wisely this holiday season, for they truly do count. And as much as I believe in supporting our small businesses, the thing that brings me to tears is this recipe box. It used to be my grandfather’s Guernsey cow record box, back on the dairy farm in Connecticut. I found an old recipe clipped from our hometown newspaper, faded to yellow. It was for my grandmother’s holiday sweet rolls, which had been so popular that it made it into the paper. Frank Calhoun was a Republican, and a state legislator. Polly was a staunch Democrat. They were both pillars in the church and the community. Thanksgiving was a huge event with a minimum of 65 guests at the table. Everyone who needed a place to go came to the Calhouns’. It was a lovely and important tradition, one which I sorely miss. I have been thinking a lot about whose shoulders we have stood upon to get where we are today. I so wish I could sit down at their old farm table by the wood stove and get some advice and perspective about how we move forward in this world. I imagine Polly and Frank would say keep working hard. Keep taking care of the land. Keep an open place at the table for anyone who needs it. Keep loving a Republican. Keep loving a Democrat. Keep baking sweet rolls and share them with everyone you know. Oh, and spend your hard-earned dollars wisely. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Learn moreOn Neighboring
On Neighboring When I was ten years old, a tornado came through and wrecked our farm. The three-hundred-year-old Cathedral Pines crashed down all around us, ruining fence lines and clipping the barn. I remember seeing the apple trees my great grandfather planted get uprooted and fly horizontally through the air. No lives were lost, human or livestock, but it took months and months to get back on our feet. Friends and neighbors pitched in all summer long helping with cleanup. That tornado taught me some valuable things about rural, small town living. When you need help, your neighbors pitch in. When your neighbors need help, you pitch in. Last week I had the honor of meeting a pretty phenomenal group of women in Jordan, Montana. Last year, Northeastern Montana got hit with one of the worst and largest wildfires this state has ever seen. Farms and ranches, homes and communities were devastated. The entire county has a population of around 1,200. All hands were on deck in attempts to save what they could. Every able-bodied human was working the fire line, fueling trucks, fixing meals, looking after the neighbor’s kids…ten-year-old children were literally driving trucks to help out. Farmers and ranchers from all across the state and even as far away as Oklahoma organized convoys of semis loaded with hay and fencing supplies, feed and fuel, donating necessities to the fire victims. I was in Jordan to award these ladies a $5,000 grant from the Red Ants Pants Foundation to the Garfield County Fire Foundation. There was one line in their grant application that struck me so hard and true that I still cannot speak it out loud without getting choked up. “Jordan, where ‘neighbor’ is a verb.” This describes the heart of rural living pretty darn well. It resonates with my experience growing up, as well as my thirteen years spent in White Sulphur Springs. Whether it is the rancher who organizes a team roping to raise money for his neighbor who has cancer, or the bake sale that raises enough money for the widow who needs help with funeral expenses. We as neighbors help each other out. We need each other. And it makes us a lot stronger together. So, a big thank you to the community of Jordan for redefining ‘neighbor’ for us. And may we continue ‘neighboring’ in all of our communities, large or small.
Learn moreOn Learning
On Learning My goal before this snowy, icy, windy, miserable winter was over was to learn how to do a donut. A real one like the high school kids do, with a rear wheel drive car. Not sure how I managed to get through my teens without learning this right of passage. But it was time. Last week, in the dark of the night at my friend’s ranch, we went out and did donuts in his side by side. A little tippier than a car, but man, were they fun! Yes, even this tiny ounce of letting go of control was a rarity and a damn fine experience that I recommend for everyone. Here’s to learning, regularly.
Learn moreOn Self-Reliance
On Self-Reliance A jar of cider my friend pressed because he could. Enjoyed while taking a breather from cutting firewood. Running your own saw, working for your own heat, 3x over. A good dog and an old stick shift pick up truck. Knowing how to change your own tires. Getting unstuck in the first winter’s storm that came earlier than expected. Shipping calves, after the year’s work feeding, calving, branding, haying, gathering… Neighbors helping neighbors, pitching in at the stockyard. Celebrating afterwards with homemade dilly beans and lots and lots of Busch Light. The skills, the values, the tools. If we don’t have them, let’s learn them. If we do have them, let’s pass them on. Cheers! Calhoun
Learn moreOn Hard Work
On Hard Work Having a strong work ethic is something we value hugely here at Red Ants Pants. We toss the phrase around loosely and we certainly work hard, but we don’t spend much time thinking about it, or why it is so darn fundamental to our company values. Having our home base in Meagher County, where the top industry is agriculture, we are fortunate to be surrounded by some really hard-working people. People that work from 5am to 10pm this time of year, when the grain has to be harvested, and the second cutting of hay has to be put up, and the cows need to be gathered from the high country. And when a tire blows on the combine, you need to know how to replace it ($2,700 for a new tire!) and when the starter goes out in your grain truck, you need to know how to fix it. You need a good parts store nearby, you need a good welder, you need the right skills and equipment, but you also need the work ethic to keep moving forward. “Ethic” is defined as a set of moral principles. I like that a work ethic is tied to morals. A good farmer/rancher friend of mine gave me hell for sleeping in the other day (past 5:00am). “People die in bed you know…that’s what my Dad always says.” Fair enough. So here’s to the elbow grease, the early mornings, the duty of it all. Here’s to the men and women working incredibly damn hard to feed this country, to build and maintain the infrastructure of our cities and towns, our roads, and our lives. Our hats are off to you. See you at 5:00am tomorrow. In love and gratitude, Calhoun
Learn moreOn Perseverance
Perseverance Hello all, this spring has been a challenging one for lots of folks in our circles. It seems that far too many bones and hearts have been broken. Perhaps it is the reality of getting older, as life seems to intensify with the years passed by. Or perhaps it’s just a tough season. Regardless, perseverance seems pretty relevant right now. per·se·ver·ance \ˌpər-sə-ˈvir-ən(t)s\ Noun: steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Steadfastness. The word itself reminds me of the lilacs and apple trees that were planted by our grandparents on these homesteads. Plants that push through really long, cold winters, and hard dirt, and they persevere, always. If White Sulphur grows one thing well it is our lilacs! And so we keep pushing too, onward and upward. Despite the difficulties, we get our work done, we take care of our families and our responsibilities, and hopefully we take care of ourselves too. So go pick some lilacs for your kitchen table to remind us of our steadfastness. Persevere. Onward and upward my friends! Calhoun This poem was just shared with me by a friend and mentor. He said the Spanish version is even more beautiful. Enjoy. Throw Yourself Like Seed Shake off this sadness, and recover your spirit sluggish you will never see the wheel of fate that brushes your heel as it turns going by, the man who wants to live is the man in whom life is abundant. Now you are only giving food to that final pain which is slowly winding you in the nets of death, but to live is to work, and the only thing which lasts is the work; start then, turn to the work. Throw yourself like seed as you walk, and into your own field, don’t turn your face for that would be to turn it to death, and do not let the past weigh down your motion. Leave what’s alive in the furrow, what’s dead in yourself, for life does not move in the same way as a group of clouds; from your work you will be able one day to gather yourself. ~ Miguel De Unamuno ~ (Roots and Wings, edited and translated by Robert Bly) Spanish: Soneto: LXV SIÉMBRATE! Miguel de Unamuno Sacude la tristeza y tu ánimo recobra, no quieto mires de la fortuna la rueda como gira al pasar rozando tu vereda que á quien quiere vivir vida es lo que le sobra. No haces sino nutrir esa mortal zozobra que así en las redes del morir lento te enreda, pues vivir es obrar y lo único que queda la obra es; echa, pues, mano á la obra. Ve sembrándote al paso y con tu propio arado sin volver la vista que es volverla á la muerte, y no á lo por andar sea peso lo andado. En los surcos lo vivo, en tí deja lo inerte, pues la vida no pasa al paso de un nublado; de tus obras podrás un día recojerte.
Learn moreOn Humor
Humor A reminder to us all. It seems this time of year we need a good laugh more than ever. Whether it’s busting your ankle from a fall on the ice, Or having to put down a damn good dog, Or supporting a neighbor through chemo, Or worrying about the uncertainty of the world, Or yet another morning rushing to work because you didn’t leave enough time to shovel the snow off your truck, again… then you open the driver side door and the snow piles onto your seat, again… Let’s pause, just for a moment. Let’s make time and intention to chuckle, chortle, giggle and snort, to double over in hysterics. When was the last time we all had a good belly laugh? Invite those friends over, even if you don’t have time. Pour them more wine than you should on a school night, bust out Balderdash or Cards Against Humanity. Tell more jokes. Join a dodgeball team. Dust off your old Calvin and Hobbes comic book. Surround yourself with those that make you feel good and make you laugh. Maybe if we do this a little more frequently we’ll strengthen our resolve, our hearts, and ourselves. And let’s not forget to take our Vitamin D! “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.” ~Mark Twain In love and you guessed it, laughter, Sarah
Learn moreOn Vests
Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in and excitement for the concept of a Red Ants Pants wool vest! I am excited to announce that I just got back from our manufacturing facility and we are, at long last, taking orders! Because this will be a limited edition, we will only be able to offer the vests on a first come, first served basis, which is most easily facilitated through phone orders: 406-547-3781. Sadly, we cannot guarantee that they will reach you by Christmas, but the good news is they will be well worth the wait. Red Ants Pants’ beautifully crafted vests are made with 21 oz. Woolrich Wool (America’s longest continuously run woolen mill). Made in the USA. These vests have flattering side panels with contrasting colors. Fully lined and featuring two inside zip pockets on the ribs, not the chest! Deep Polartec® fleece-lined exterior pockets, fleece-lined neck and chin and a longer sweep in the back will keep you covered and cozy in any working conditions. Questions? Q) When will the vests arrive? A) The vests have arrived in our headquarters in White Sulphur Springs, MT, and we will ship them out to you right away! Q) If I go to the website, it says the my size is out of stock. Should I still call to pre-order? A) Yep, please call the store. More vests will be coming in the New Year! Q) If I call to place an order and no one answers, should I leave a voicemail? A) Yes, please leave a voicemail. We will keep track of the time you called to make sure the pre-order process is fair and orders are received on a first come, first served basis. Please leave your name, phone number and email for us to confirm. Thank you! Q) What if you run out of stock and I don’t get one?! A) We apologize if this happens to you, but the good news is we are doing another production run in early 2017 and will have even more options for you! Sign up for our vest interest list and we’ll email you info as more vests are available. Again, huge thanks for your patience and support. We welcome your feedback on these new vests. Can’t wait to hear how much you love them, and what we can do to improve them! Happy Holidays, Sarah and the Red Ants Pants team
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On Hope
Red Ants Pants presents you with a holiday challenge. Choose someone in your world with whom you have some serious differences. Sit down with them over coffee or bourbon, preferably by a fire. Find something you have in common. Anything. Celebrate that. Tell us your story, in any creative way you choose by emailing: info@redantspants.com. And then you shall receive 25% off your entire holiday order. *There is no small print. Repeat this as often as you possibly can. With love and HOPE, Calhoun and the RAP team
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