I was up at the Heritage Center reading "Montana History" last evening (Tuesday) enjoying Kareen Bratt's book "My Home's In Montana". I've blogged about this great book several times over the past couple of months & it looks like we have only about 80 pages to g. It's one of those books that you hate to see end! The story really resonates with me, having grown up in Great Falls & all. (Kareen's from Fort Benton). Last evening we were reading about going shopping in downtown Great Falls back in the 50's. So many memories came rushing back as Kareen writes of the old Johnson Hotel with the marble floors, the Club Cafeteria next door (which was a wonderful place to eat), the old J.C. Penney store downtown (where I used to get my tennis shoes) along with Arios where I got all my jeans. She writes of the Liberty Theater with the chandelier & the sloped walkways leading to the balcony along with the marble floors in the bathroom. Apparently there was a lot of marble around in those days in Great Falls! Since beginning the book, I've wanted to get in touch with Kareen & have her on the Puffman Program. For one reason or another, there is no author information in the book, no publication date(s), no copy-rite, no publisher, etc. I got the book from Marie Ostrem (who filled in for me last week at the Heritage) & Marie told me that the book came from the Prairie Peddler. What a surprise this morning when I received a phone call from Kareen who had been talking with Cindy at the Prairie Peddler. First off, I was glad to hear that old Kareen is still "above ground"...she's in my age group & you know how that goes...& second, I was more than happy to schedule her for an interview on my program tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) at 4:35. I honestly feel that this is definitely one of the BEST books we've ever enjoyed up at the Heritage (& we've read quite a few over the years) & it's now in stock & available at the Prairie Peddler here in Shelby. My home IS in Montana...I'll see you tomorrow with Kareen, originally from the Fort Benton area, now making her home across the mountains over in Somers. What a small world.

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