Alaska to Africa!

2010-11-14T06:30:00.000-09:00

I'm going to try this diligence thing once again. We'll see how it goes :)

Today was a fun filled day starting with a great church service from Matthew 7. A continuation of last weeks sermon about not trying to take the speck of sawdust out of your eye until we've taken the log out of our own eye, along with this came the advice about knowing when and how to correct. We talked about wounded hearts and trust this morning as well..hmm...sound familiar?

After church some friends came over and we chit chatted for awhile and I threw together a yummy meal of scalloped potatoes, steamed pumpkin and meatloaf. I love having the time to cook and enjoy the cooler weather brought on by the rain and clouds of the day.

Crystal and I watched a few episodes of HOUSE and are now setteling in to read email, chat with family, check up on fb and eventually get back to schoolwork.

I continue to ponder my blessings and think of all the things I'm thankful for and that I take for granted. I am thankful that I still have parents and grandparents and all my siblings, thankful that I have clean drinking water, a Bible in my mother tongue, an education, a great church and the list goes on.
God is good all the time and I think it is important to reflect upon the many blessings he has given us. All too often it is easy to find something to fuss about. What are you grateful for today?

2010-11-13T11:48:00.000-09:00

Time continues to fly faster than a speeding bullet! I was glancing over my blog and realized I started driving in Dar a bit under a year ago. I have since started driving bajaji and am hoping to get my license this coming week.

We are well into our school year and as is typical the second year goes better than the first. I feel much better about my teaching just feeling more settled into routine.

In the past month or two months God has made it clear that my time in Africa is not yet done. I have decided to stay on and have found a new house to move into. It is very freeing to know that I am in God's will. Next week we sign a lease on the new house and hope to move sometime in December. Hopefully we will spend our Christmas in our lovely new home! :)

Along with the need for a new home came the need for transportation. I tutor in another part of Dar three afternoons a week after school and traffic is a bugger, I decided the way to go is by bajaj. I spend Saturday mornings in Madala village tutoring. I am hoping to buy a bajaj by the beginning of January.

I've grown to love the verse "The heart of man plans his ways but the Lord establishes his steps." so true... God has everything planned out and when we walk in sweet surrender to Him and are in continual communion with Him nothing is sweeter :)

Hope all is well with you, love hearing your updates! Have a relaxing Sunday!

Summer--oops I mean Winter madness :)

2010-06-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

Today marked our last day of school before the "summer" (or if you're living in Dar it is Winter) break. The day was filled with many goodbyes to staff and students alike as is the case when you live in a mission community. It is hard to believe that I have been living in Dar for nearly 11 months. Though I love teaching, it will be nice to have some time off.

We had a final assembly this morning and after that a time of farewells and checking out. The day has been very cool (chilly in fact) at a current temp of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. I really appreciate Dar weather at this time of year.

This afternoon, Crystal and I and our neighbor Lydia, took the opportunity to go to Tegeta to browse through their used clothing market (which is open every Friday)...I found a pair of good Capri's for 500TSH (30ish cents), we were then able to buy some fresh produce. There is a huge produce market in Tegeta. Right now oranges are in season and 10 oranges cost us 1000 TSH or 69 cents. We've made a few batches of homemade orange juice! (YUM!!) After shopping in Tegeta, we went to "Camel Oil" which is a gas station/small 'supermarket' they have most things that we need and are very close to home. They have even started selling LUKU, (LUKU is our electricity--we prepay it and then get a code to punch into a LUKU box at our home) which makes them even nicer and more convenient!

The weekend will be filled with many events, some of us on the compound will go out for a nice breakfast. (I hear it's the best place to go when feeling homesick--apparently the food is wonderful!). In the afternoon we are invited out for one last beach party. On Sunday it is farewell to my roommate and a few others.

A month and a half ago I started tutoring a little guy with special needs who is not a part of our HOPAC community. I go to their school and tutor him three days a week. I will continue to work with him throughout the summer. It still baffles me that there are virtually no options for those with special needs.

I am hoping to have my newsletter out very soon...

Hope all is well for each of you! happy Friday! :)

Beautiful star lamp

2009-12-21T22:54:00.000-09:00

So,
The other day I went to the "mall" with my friend who was in town for the day. We used a school car and this was my first real driving experience in Dar. :) Who-hoo!! I survived traffic day one :)
Whilst at the mall I saw this beautiful paper star shaped lamp, I've looked at it two other times but decided against it, this particular day I decided.."that lamp would be nice to have, it would have a soft glow that my flourescent lights don't provide" I told the man behind the counter I wanted the red star lamp (which turns out it is BRIGHT pink).

I paid for the lamp and we went on our way, headed for home. When I got home I took my lamp out prepared to plug it in however there was a slight problem...the cord had no plug, just a wire. I said "what is this?" I have since learned that this is how they sell these lamps, none of the chords have a plug...who would think they would have to buy a plug to wire onto the cord before being able to use their lamp?? I guess I have learned yet again never to assume, and Africa wins again!

Thankfully one of the hs boys next door came over with an old chord and he put the plug on for me. :) Yay!! it's great to have nice neighbors.

Have a wonderful week!

Sala ya Yesu

2009-12-14T20:40:00.003-09:00

We have spent our last two Kiswahili lessons learning the Lord's prayer:

Sala ya Yesu:
Baba yetu uliye mbinguni
jina lako litukuzwe
ufalme wako ufike,
utakalo lifanyike duniani kama mbinguni.
Utupeleo mkate wetu wakila siku.
Utusamehe makosa yetu kama tunavyo wasamehe nasisi walio tukosea;
usitutie katika kishawishi lakini utuokoe na maovu.
kwakufa ni ufalme wake nguvu na utukufu ni wako milele.
Amina.

2009-12-13T04:32:00.003-09:00

Wow! Another year has come and gone and my life has changed dramatically. I will try to stay on top of this blog a bit better, at least for awhile.

I have moved internationally to work as a missionary and am spending Christmas this year in a HOT climate. What a change from the white Christmas' I am so accustomed to. It was very hard to get into the Christmas spirit this year but shouldn't be as Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our savior, it should not be dependant upon being with family, or having the usual decorations in the streets or our home, the ability to make the goodies that have become traditional or the lack of snow.

This past week was long as everyone is excited and counting down days until the end of 1st term. On Wednesday night my roommate and I decided we were too exhausted for Bible study but decided we would order out some food. This sounds like a grand idea in the general scheme of things but this was one of those evenings my roommate would describe as an "AWA day/night' (Africa Wins Again). Wednesday was a national holiday here and we didn't have school, which means many others don't have work either. We decided to catch a dala-dala to T-square, a small little bar/restaurant to pick up our food. We stood and waited and waited for a dala that looked at least a little bit safe (meaning no people hanging out the side). We finally caught the dala and wound up at Africana where we wanted to stop. From Africana we took a walk to T-square, where they asked us to wait for our food. We had ordered 7 mishkaki and 2 chips. After 30 minutes they brought 'our' order: 9 mishkaki and 5 chips. We explained as best we could in our limited Swahili that we hadn't ordered that much and were quoted a price of elfu tisa (nine thousand shillings). They agreed not to charge us for two orders of chips. Crystal and I were on our merry way when we received a call "your food is ready come and pick it up" (all in Swahili). We tried to explain 'tulikuja chakula' we came and got the food. Needless to say we were on our way home and got a text, then two more phone calls---we could not quite bridge the language gap. So we asked our friendly guard to help us send a message--he can understand our limited Swahili and actions better than the restaurant ;) We had a crazy bajaji ride home, with a driver that did not listen to our directions and who grumbled about our fair price the entire way.

Last night we had our staff Christmas party which was great fun, on the way home we were going to catch a bajaj...they decided they needed 5,000TSH for what should have cost 1,500 at the most. The farther we walked towards home the more expensive and more rude the bajaj drivers got. We decided to walk all the way as we couldn't find a reliable bajaj. We were walking on the shoulder when the guy we were with says "watch out!" we look up to see a car coming at us in our lane (which is not really a lane---a two lane highway can become 4-6 on evenings with heavy traffic)...this means "Watch out Pedestrians--you don't have the right of way".

Today we took a dala on our way to go out to eat...the dala skipped our stop and kept going. We ended up a lot farther than we wanted to be and changed our plans for lunch. :)

I think it's just been one of those crazy weeks and one of wonderful memories in Africa! :)

Next week we will have a plethora of school Christmas activities and finish the end of our term! :) already one third of the way through the year, it's so hard to believe.

Well..time to end this post...more later!

Have a wonderful day!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T04:27:00.003-09:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas season. :)

Since it's been awhile since my last update I figure I should give a brief update. I have moved home from Alaska and am preparing to go overseas to teach in a few months. As the dream becomes closer to reality it gets more and more exciting. I have received all my official invitations and now have the paperwork to start the visa process.

It has been very nice to be home for all of the Christmas preparations and the flurry of activities. It has been many years since I have been able to participate in and attend certain Christmas activities.

We will most certainly be having a beautiful white Christmas this year. We have been blasted with cold snowy weather. The few inches of snow we received last night were light, fluffy and sparkle and shimmer in the sunlight or moonlight. It will be a beautiful Christmas. I think I will miss the snow for Christmas next year.

I found this song and thought I'd post it to remind people of the reason for the season, the author is unknown...

It’s not the biggest teddy bear Sitting in the window there,
It’s not the chubby baby doll, A wind-up toy or basketball.
It’s not the latest, greatest thingThat Santa Claus will ever bring,
But still, it’s the greatest Gift of all.
It’s not a fancy shirt to wear,
A shiny diamond solitaire,A silken tie, a suit of tweed—The silly things we think we need.
The greatest Gift to come our wayWas sent by God on Christmas Day.
Jesus is the greatest Gift of all!

When He came down to earth,
It was a lowly birth,
But soon the world would sing,“Behold the King of Kings!”
And when He died for me,
He gave unselfishlyThe greatest Gift of all!

It’s not the greeting cards we write,
A choir singing “Silent Night,”Snowflakes on the windowpane,
Stockings filled with candy canes.
The greatest Gift God gave to man:A baby Boy in Bethlehem!
Jesus is the greatest Gift of all,Jesus is the greatest Gift of all!

Merry Christmas!

School's Out!

2008-05-24T21:52:00.004-08:00

School is out, I'm not sure who is more happy--students or staff ;)

My days in Tunt are quickly dwindling, and I find myself dragging my feet as I pack up and get ready to ship out. It's amazing to see how much stuff one can accrue in so short a time. I'm ready for time with friends and family but will miss the "family" I have here.

A treasured gift from people here---Thanks!!

We've started the process of goodbyes, Pam and Kat will leave this coming week. I will miss them both a great deal next year and wish them all the best...I hope the new duo doesn't get into tooo much trouble ;)

A pillow case made for me by a co-worker/friend

I've received some wonderful "farewell" and "thank-you" gifts thought I'd post some pictures. :) Iain gave me some great pictures, if you'd like to see some of his prints check out http://www.iainfoulds.com/ :)

Some Earrings from one of my students.

The ice on the river broke and the first barge arrived this past week. Days are wonderfully long, sun is visible before 6 am and it's not dark until well after 12 am.

Have a blessed week!

2008-04-26T09:51:00.003-08:00

Wow, time flies by...it seems we just started this school year and it's nearly over. If I've calculated correctly, only 36 sleeps until I leave Tunt permanantly.

In mid March we had one day off for spring Break..Pam and I flew into Anchorage and had a wonderful time relaxing and touring the beauty of the area. The scenery is captivating.

On March 17th, with mixed feelings I submitted my resignation to Frank. Though excited about pending possibilities I was aprehensive about the unknown.

On April 2nd, I was accepted as a member with Wycliffe Bible Translators, (the same day I was replaced by another SpEd teacher) now I will begin to raise prayer and financial support. I am in awe at the support of those around me. Yesterday my partnership brochures arrived, Syliva jumped in and started to help fold them, then Kat came and said "Can I help?" and Pam arrived a few minutes later and said "Give me some to fold" awhile later another staff member came in and helped stuff envelopes. We had 300 brochures folded in no time. These little gestures mean a lot and I know that I am blessed with great friends. I am so lucky to have people such as Kat, Iain, Pam, Sylvia, and Maat around me, willing to jump in and help and do what they can just because they want to. They are truly treasured friends and will be missed greatly next year.

We had state testing the first week in April, my students had a strong determination and some stayed until after 6 pm 3 nights that week, trying to put forth their best effort on the test.

Since announcing my resignation, students have had many a question and have been trying to figure out life's questions. It is great to watch their new interest and curiosity grow, as well as watching them grow from the "kids" I knew when I first arrived into the teenagers and young adults they are today.

The weather warmed up a bit last week but has since cooled off and snowed again...one would think spring might soon be here?? ;)

My classroom door--decorated for spring

Hope everyone is doing well! have a wonderful week! :)

Pending Possibilities

2008-03-01T17:33:00.002-09:00

Well, it is already March...as some eagerly count down the remaining days of the school year; I join but with some apprehension. Though nothing is concrete as of yet, there is a very slim possibility that I will return to the tundra for a 4th year.
My mind and heart have been whirling with conflicting emotions, and anxiety, wondering what God has in store for me next. I feel led to pursue missions and have been working on the application process with Wycliffe Bible Translators. The opportunity landed in my lap, and many doors have opened up; with God's timing. At the same time, this is home now, and the goodbyes will be hard.

I am nearly to the end of the Wycliffe application process; having completed the application, an informal interview, a Bible knowledge assessment, an interview with my home church pastor, and several papers. I'm hoping for a decision of membership by March 19th. From there I will work with a pre-field Rep. to determine how to gather sponsorship and budgeting etc.

There are currently 2 Special Education positions available in Africa; one in Cameroon and one in Tanzania (my first pick). Today feelings of hesitation and questioning have been replaced with feelings of excitement and eager anticipation. I've spent the day doing some more paperwork and calculating as well as researching Tanzania. The pictures I've seen of the city and the beach/resort area near the school are surreal. LOL--going from sub-zero temperatures to 90's and along the ocean and having trees; even thoughts of being able to shop or go out to eat if I want are unreal....what about no snow??? Won't that be different?

Not much else happening here right now....

A few prayer requests:
1. God's will is done regarding acceptance with Wycliffe
2. Decisions regarding my contract for next school year
3. If accepted to Wycliffe, my field placement and support.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Snow and Vehicles :)

2008-02-24T15:25:00.005-09:00

A few weeks ago....(maybe a month) they brought fuel tanks up; they were working on installing them using a crane, and trucks!! We all turned our heads to catch a glimpse of the trucks out our windows. Some pictures of the guys working and making noise..... The first pictures shown are of the snow we got one night towards the end of January. A beautiful, white, soft, fluffy snow :)

My front steps :) Can anybody spy Rocky's dog house??

The boardwalk between my house and Dave and Angie's house.

What I found when I opened my front door :)

Driving on the pond...(we had to take pictures; how often is a rig in town??)

A picture just for my guys ;)

One of two trucks we have in the village--don't think this one will go anywhere anytime soon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T21:14:00.007-09:00

My little helper :)

This morning I had my kids and one on one aides over for baking Valentine's cookies. It was a great exercise in practicing reading comprehension and following directions. They were split into 3 groups; the frosting group, mixing group and the rolling and cutting group. All worked well together :)

We had a decorated box outside the classroom for kids to place their Valentine's in. I received many cards, and I now see how valuable a handmade card can be versus a store bought card. The kids put much time and thought into some of the cards.

The weather continues to be cold. Currently, the acutal temp is -14 with a windchill of -35 F. They've been having some problems with the village generators, run by TCSA. They froze up for a few days over Christmas break, this week they were off for about 3 hours due to a leak. Last night the power was off 3 times for 10-20 min. each time....perhaps it's time to look more closely at the maintainance or replacement of the village generators? :)

The guys finished the sewer lines a couple weeks ago, and I now have a flushing toilet!! WHO HOO!! (I know, simple pleasures ;) I appreciate all the time the guys put in during the cold wet weather. They deserve a raise :) Soon, (if things thaw out) we will have water running into the older teacher houses (mine included) so all we need to do to fill our water tank is turn on a valve. Frank has seen to many improvements in housing during his time as Site Administrator.

Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing weekend! :)

Christmas with the Family

2008-01-15T15:01:00.000-09:00

Beautiful trees!! Taken as we were driving out the driveway, headed back to the airport.

A little behind the times getting pics posted....but here are some from our family Christmas. Lance and Rachel
Dad and Mom
Grams
Jonas and GlenThe table....Mom got roses from Dad :)
Glen--trying to figure out some computer gizmo for his truck.

My little Christmas tree at home in Alaska....the other 2 pictures show my fur hat, made by one of the women in the village. It's made with silver fox fur and incredibly warm.

School Christmas Program

2008-01-14T18:10:00.002-09:00

Well...today was our first day back to work, and now it's time to play catch up with my blog.

On December 19th we had our school Christmas program, I was in charge of organizing/planning. I could not have done it without Kat, Georgette, and Lisa...all huge helps.

The program went well and I think all had fun.

Something to ponder...

2008-01-10T21:43:00.000-09:00

A Message by George Carlin:
The parAdox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.
We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to l ife not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.
We write more, but learn less.
We plan more, but accomplish less.
We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window a nd nothing in the stockroom.
Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.
Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2007-12-23T17:48:00.000-09:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
I hope this finds all of you doing well.
I arrived in MN early this morning,this time without my canine companion...I'm missing him already, but am sure he's having a fun time with Kat, Iain and Mia.
My first flight went very well and actually arrived in the village at the scheduled time. I went to Bethel were I stayed the evening, I ordered supper, and curled up for the night before nine. Saturday (the 22nd) I flew out of Bethel and again everything went smoothly. I met up with a friend from Kwethluck and another SpEd teacher and we had a great chance to chit chat. In Anchorage, I met up with another friend and we were on the same flight to MN; this helped time to fly while waiting at the airport.
Before boarding the last flight I felt a wave of nausea, I found myself praying "please God, help this flight to pass quickly." Needless to say when I arrived in Minneapolis...you can say it was a "grand" entry.

It still does not seem possible that Christmas has arrived. Tomorrow we will start the festivities, and they will be staggered through the 5th of January. It's great to be back with family and friends.

God bless and have a safe and happy holiday season.

Trip to Bethel with the girls :)

2007-11-25T11:56:00.000-09:00

The ladies and I went to Bethel on Friday morning. Around 9:30 I received a phone call that the plane would be here in about 3o minutes. We loaded up our bags, got Rocky over to Kat's and headed down to the airport in the "airport shuttle" aka the four wheeler, trailer and our excellent driver Iain. We waited for our plane until around 10 am. Needless to say our feet were more than a bit cold by that point in time :) We kept ourselves entertained with Angie's Catch phrase game. It was a much needed and very welcome get away :)

Pam and Angie on the ride to the airport

Kat hanging on as we encountered the drift covered boardwalk. :) headed for the airport.

The sky around 10 am 11/23/07--also notice Nick driving ahead with the snow go to make sure we didn't get stuck with the four wheeler.

Pam, Marie and Kat...waiting for the plane :)

Pam and Angie waiting at the Tunt airport: Pam's trying to warm Angie's feet.

Pam and Marie in the car....The smartest thing we did in Bethel was rent a car for around $100/day plus $20 collision insurance. Notice that we are well packed. :) (and those aren't even all of the boxes...some of them went with Maat, Zach and Lena)

Loading all our stuff at the Hageland terminal....will we be under the 1200lb limit????

Iain and Angie loading our stuff into the trailer when we landed...home sweet home :)
The moon above the river when we landed in Tunt around 4 pm 11/24/07

I splurged and bought a pair of slippers at the craft fair this year :) thus far it's been a worthwhile purchase. :)

Kat and Angie in the well loaded car
Bentley's....our second home when we travel to Bethel.

The view out the window while we ate our lunch at Yolanda's; we had a beautiful day to drive around Bethel.

Pretty scenery in Bethel...looks MUCH different with the snow and frost :)

Kat, pumping gas...LOL I guess MN drivers have a hard time figuring out Alaska gas pumps :) The station worker came out twice to tell us how to operate the pump :) Gas prices were $4.77/gal in Bethel for self-serve and $4.93 for full-service.

Simple Beauty/supper at Marie's House

2007-11-25T09:44:00.000-09:00

The View from my back steps--simply gorgeous!!

The view out my bedroom window
The small snowdrift in my house :)

Cooking--she is making a letter "E" while tearing up angel food cake for supper.

Supper at Marie's House- The kids worked hard and 20 of them came over for Hamburgers, French Fries, Juice, mixed berries and strawberry angel food desert

Carving our Class Pumpkin--The kids were so focused and did a great job :)

Hat Day

2007-10-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

Today found us with a fresh layer of beautiful snow on the ground :) It's so exciting winter has come :)---remind me of that in a few months ;)

This morning when Rocky and I headed out for our morning walk, we encountered a fox next to the school...Frank warned us to be cautious. He borrowed my flashlight to scare it off and try to see if it was healthy. When he turned around to come back towards the school the fox would turn around and follow him. Frank said "be careful, it'll attack your dog" Rocky and I continued on to meet Kat, as we walked the fox would sneak up behind us, I would shine my flashlight and throw snow at it to try and scare it off. It continued to come within 6-8 feet of us. I was more worried about Rocky and the fox getting into a fight, or playing together, and since many foxes here have rabies, I prefer to be safe rather than sorry.

Today for spirit week we had hat day---there were many cute hats :)Maat--isn't such a fan of paperwork and "putzy" stuff :) but is a good helper anyway.

Crazy Hair

2007-10-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

This week we have school spirit week, and it will be a long work week as we have Saturday school. We will have a halloween carnival on Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. It should be a fun and exhausting week.

For school spirit week we have a little bit of something happening every day,

today was crazy hair day

Tuesday: hat day

Wednesday: school spirit/team sports color day

Thursday: Backwards day

Friday: Quspaq day
Saturday: Halloween costume day

We have officially finished first quarter and will have parent teacher conferences this week. Christmas will soon be here--hard to believe.

Today I got my school computer back; it was sent off last December. They managed to back up my hard drive so all my pictures and music, papers and important documents were recovered. (A pleasant surprise as I was told all would be lost) :) It is so much faster than the student computer I was using; makes all my paperwork go much more efficiently, not to mention the screen is two times bigger.

Well...I'll try to update again this week. Have a great day :)

Pumping Fuel

2007-10-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Suprisingly enough the snow has decided to stick around :) I'm anticipating the freezing of the river...it makes it easier to access everything, and you can escape from some of the kids if you'd like.

Yesterday I received a new classroom door--part of the continued school rennovations. It is currently one of the ugliest doors I've ever seen; but i guess doors don't need to be attractive just functional. I think the painters will be back to paint the doors and casing which will brighten things up a bit :) Construction workers continue to keep long hours starting work around 4:30-5:00 and working til 7 am. Iain and the guys seem to be making great progress on the sewer pipes they are working on. I'll try to post pictures of the wooden casing in the near future.

Today some people from YKHC (the hospital) were here to dicuss diabetes with the kids and to do free blood sugar screenings for all the staff. Kat was having a "how sweet are you" discussion at breakfast time.

The School Wheels :) and the fuel pumping trailer

Upon arriving home from work this afternoon I felt my house was a bit chilly. Frank's out of town and I thought now might be a good time to try and figure things out instead of waiting til 1 tonight to really notice the cool house. I gave Nick a call and he came over and we pumped (well..i mostly watched) 200 gallons of fuel into my tank, but the boiler didn't come on so Nick gave Mark (the maintanance man) a call he came over to "bleed" the air out. The house is still cold but should warm up soon. :)

The Fuel is pumped from the above tank to the trailer and then pumped to my tank(below). Mark's job doesn't sound very thrilling :P Thanks to Nick and Mark for coming to the rescue tonight :)

Last night Dave hauled water and asked if I needed any. I filled my tank and he did all the work with the hoses it was very sweet of him to do that for Pam and I. Agan I'm blessed with wonderful co-workers and neighbors.

On another note....the mouse deterrant I ordered arrived in the mail yesterday. It has a lovely pine smell. I placed four bags in my kitchen and haven't seen a mouse since then. I pray that this will help; I really am not fond of those little buggers.

Time to scoot, enjoy the rest of your week :)

First Snowfall and a Beautiful Morning :)

2007-10-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Each Friday I have a cooking class for two hours in my home. This past Friday we made a breakfast pizza, some carmel rolls and had some mixed (canned) fruit. :)

Mixing "goop" for the carmel rolls--he was so amazed at how we just mixed things together and they "taste pretty good" :) He also asked "where do you get the ideas for this stuff?" LOL

Cracking the eggs to mix and scramble for the Breakfast Pizza
Maat "hard at work"

On Friday it started snowing, hard with big flakes; it was so pretty. While we were at my house cooking I looked out the living room window and this is what I saw of the first snowfall :) It continued throughout the day and into the evening. :)

The snowfall out my front door on Friday night :)

Taken from my back steps this morning--Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!

Taken from my back steps this morning. Pictures cannot come close to captivating God's splendor :)

My Back Yard-Breathtaking

Long over due...

2007-09-29T16:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks Kat and Iain :)

As you have probably noticed this post is overdue.

Since I last updated...I had a birthday. Many thanks to all who sent birthday greetings; I was truly blessed. :) The night before my birthday two sneaky people were in my classroom decorating--Thanks Kat and Iain it was a fun surprise. Maat and Sylvia baked a cake and made jello; Maat had the kids sing. Ehab was the first to greet me "happy birthday" :) Jacki called and we talked for nearly 2 1/2 hours it was wonderful to catch up on the happenings in their lives.

Some of my girls and I bake each Friday as a part of their class. This is what we made on my birthday...emmm...YUMMY!!! Good "Cooker-errrrrrrrrrs" ;)

The weather continues to grow cooler by the day; I'm eagerly awaiting snowfall :):)
As Kat and I go out walking in the morning it is now pitch black and a flashlight comes in very handy. This morning was frosty and though a bit slippery it was so beautiful!! I love being able to be outside. The rain has ceased, and we've had flurries on two occassions.

A sunrise Kat and I saw on one of our walks about a month ago

The workload is steadily picking up; I am getting to the point where I'm swimming in paperwork. I work for awhile in the room after school but like to bring the work home, I find late nights and early mornings very productive. Nearly everyday after work I have meetings and visitors this month.

I've found time for me this year as well :) :) I've been doing some more reading; a novelty I've missed over the past few years. I am making great progress in my scrapbook. I did a few pages at a girls get together on Friday and did an several pages Sat. night--all pictures of this summer.

I've been fighting mice :P :P I really detest the dirty little buggers. I have figured out where they are coming in and disenfect everything at least once daily. Brings back memories of all the things they ruined at home growing up!!! I have ordered a natural mouse deterrant that should be in the mail any day :) and have set up a trap (though my sink/dishwater seems to be the most effective trap) I've also tried putting peppermint oil on the counter tops and in the bottom of the garbage can.

More Birthday decorations/my classroom

I think that's about all, time to wrap up this post. Hope all of you are doing well and staying healthy.

My classroom--the little things on the doors that I made to help with number recognition

Enjoy the rest of your week and have a nice weekend :)

2007-09-16T22:14:00.000-08:00

This rainbow was taken outside my back steps. I've seen 5-6 rainbows in the past month and a half :)
We are going into our 5th week of classes already; it is hard to believe how fast the time goes. :)

I'm enjoying my own classroom this year the atmosphere is very different. Once again we have nearly a complete turn over in the specialists from the district office.

The new OT came out last week, she is very sweet. Originally from the midwest she attended a Christian college in MI, and she has a Dutch last name. Curiousity got the best of me and so I asked what school she attended. Lo and behold she attended Calvin; this started us on a conversation discussing the Dutch people the Reformed Church and TULIPS :P neither of us was familiar with anything Dutch, or the Reformed church before attending college. I told her I attended a small reformed college in Iowa and she said "Dordt or Northwestern?" it's a small world :) I'm blessed to have the co-workers I have both in school and from the district office.

This year I've continued to learn how to make time for myself. I've found time to enjoy more scrapbooking and craft stuff as well as reading enjoyable books. :) Kat and I and the dogs (Rocky and Mia) have gone walking every morning before school starts--what a great way to wake up and enjoy the surrounding beauty. It's also a nice time to get out of the house without being bombarded by the kids.

The days are getting much shorter, the sun is now coming up around 8 or a bit after and it's dark by about 9:30-10:00 pm. Winter will soon be upon us.

Many people keep asking what my plans for the coming year are...right now it's time to take things one step at a time. I have checked into a few positions elsewhere but am not sure it's time to move on yet. Time will tell and I have time to figure that out.

Have a wonderful week :)

Home Sweet Home

2007-08-18T21:17:00.000-08:00

The school library-notice the bed? :)

I am back home (AK) and have been for a few weeks. It is great to be back; I'm eagerly anticipating the start of the new school year. The school has been flipped upside down and in utter chaos; contractors in and out all the time.

My classroom--I get my own room this year :)

Currently we have 1 plumber, 2 painters, three electricians, and a foreman on the job. Yesterday four guys working on ducts left, and the flooring guys left. They are rotating in and out as things are ready here and in another nearby village. They've made great progress in two weeks, including laying most of the carpet, painting many of the rooms, wiring the fire alarm system. It will look great when it's all said and done. :)

Kat and Pam in Kat's classroom

I have moved into another new house (I could be the Tunt teacher housing expert ;) it is much nicer and Rocky is much happier, having more room to run inside and less traffic outside. We are maybe 50 yards back from the other house but it makes a huge difference in regards to the number of passerby's.

My arctic entry, and storage room

The Kitchen, to the right is a door where my water tank and furnace are. I have a 650 gallon water tank--a HUGE improvement over 150 gallons :)

The Dining Room

My living room

My bathroom, Mark (the maintenance man is working on installing a flush toilet and sewer system)

For those of you who missed the picture my first year, this is my toilet; it is called an incinolet it burns the waste. Look at all the room I have in my bathroom :) TONS of storage.
My pantry, the first time I've had one and I'm loving it :)
My bedroom
My Closet; again tons of storage the closet stretches floor to ceiling wall to wall, a double sliding door in the middle and then on each side of the sliding doors are there is the smaller door which has four shelves inside and four drawers beneath it.

My Office, sewing/craft room, exercise room I also have an extra bed I can put together in this room for anyone who would like to venture North ;)

The weather here has been rainy; great for the water tanks. Yesterday was beautiful sunny, a slight breeze and around 70 degrees. :) I missed the Alaska weather this summer.

Summer

2007-07-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well...I figure I'd better do a brief update; numerous people have commented about the lack of posts recently. Sorry to those of you who've been checking the blog.
It's been a bit over two months since my last update and much has happened. Due to the internet here I will post pictures when I get home in a few weeks.

This summer has been incredible and by far the best summer in many years. Time sure flies when you're having fun. :) Since I last updated we've had prom, graduation and out of Tunt for the summer. I've been on a long road trip to the east coast touring many of the New England states and have also had the chance to do some smaller trips to visit some family and a few friends, while finding a bit of time at home to help out and spend time with my immediate family.

God has been working on certain things in my life for over a year now, things I did not understand and questioned throughout much of last year but am beginning to see reasons for why God works the way He does. The road's not always easy....sometimes drought comes before rain...I won't go into details here but God is good and much has happened.

Recently an opportunity that I've been waiting for throughout the last 7 or 8 years presented itself. I'm wondering about the timing of it and am excited beyond belief :) If I get everything worked out and it's God's will... you will hear in detail about this a few months from now.

Later this week I'll be going to visit my brothers and sister in law and will go out with my brother on his truck route. Next weekend is my last in MN and then it's homeward bound. :) (Sure hope it's cooler in AK) ;)

Have a wonderful week, and check back for pictures soon :)

Break Up

2007-05-13T23:16:00.000-08:00

The river has been breaking up and huge chunks of ice have been flowing out for the past several days. Each day I go down by the airport it looks a little bit different. Here are some pictures I took last night.

The crystals in one chunk of ice, very pretty :)

notice that the ice isn't just a flat piece that flows out but a few feet deep

Gathering river water and ice to use at home

National Teacher Appreciation Week

2007-05-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all teachers. Thanks for a job well done. To my co-workers, I'm privileged to work with you. Thanks for a great year :)

Today Frank told us we had a mandatory meeting and students were dismissed at 2:34 with a staff meeting to be held in the gym at 2:46. Pizza was flown out from Bethel by the superintendent....a tasty treat :) and Frank purchased gifts for all of us. This year we received briefcase bag things and a three year calendar. The bags are forest green ("to blend in with the grass here in the summer time") and have "Tuntutuliak Education Team" embroidered on them..thanks Frank. We are blessed to have a good boss; you could never pay me enough to take his job.

Days continue to get longer, last night it was dark but not black well after midnight. When I woke up around 5 this morning there was visible light and by 5:20 am it was fairly bright. Today brought more snow flurries along with rain...for a slushy dreary day. Only 12 more days to get up early.

Someone broke into the Post Office over the weekend so we will not receive mail until further notice (after an investigation).

Enjoy the rest of your week :)

Longer Days :)

2007-05-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

The new water treatment plant is up and running :) You'd be surprised how nice CLEAR water looks.

The building at the airport (remodeled thanks to the hs class)

We went for a lovely walk a few nights ago around 10pm. Walked down to the airport,the air was crisp as it has cooled off again (even a few snowflakes the other day). The sun radiated down and lit everything up. With the breaking river and melting ponds everything was simply beautiful. As a friend shared with me when I sent some pics and as she tells her sunday school kids.."God could have made everything Black and white and gray....but He didn't....Ya know why???? He loves us, so He gave us all these beautiful things to see!"

Isn't the scenery pretty? Taken around 10 pm

I'm constantly reminded of the beauty and intricacy in the beauty around me; and reminded we should slow down and appreciate what's around us. Not always wish for more, wish for what we're familiar with but enjoy what we have here while we have it.

The river is starting to break up

Little kids wanted to try the camera, and kept saying "Picture Me" :)

Joann, Marie and a little one near 10 pm (look at how light it is)

This picture of the pond and sun was taken about 10:20 pm

This beautiful sunset picture was taken around 11 pm.

Have a great week, find time to have fun and relax and enjoy your surroundings :)

Busy

2007-04-29T20:09:00.000-08:00

So..the year is drawing near a close with only 20 working days remaining. Unbelievable how fast time flies. The classes I'm taking this semester end on Wednesday...that means I have a lot of cramming to finish in the next two days. :) By the end of the week I should feel like a free woman.

This has to be one of the world's most spoiled dogs. Everytime I try to write a paper or read a book, Rocky stands next to the couch and whines then proceeds to jump on the couch as if to say..."have you forgotten me?"

The weather has warmed up considerably and the days are getting longer. This morning I saw the sun starting to rise around 5:45 am the sunset is around 11 with visible light remaining until after midnight.

This picture was taken around 10:45 pm a week or two ago.

The guys have been working on installing a water treatment facility for the school. They came in November and worked long days, up with the chickens and working til 9 at night; they endured the nasty cold weather and now the approaching spring weather. This weekend the water in the school was off as they were purifying it. In a few months when the pipes are all flushed out we should be able to drink the water (no arsenic, no rust) and our white clothes will remain white when we wash them. :) :) When they turned on a faucet this afternoon the water coming from it was clear---I never imagined that water would look so beautiful. :)

Speaking of water, I shouldn't have talked so soon about having running water in the house. Last night I took a shower and when I went into my room later discovered a pool of water under the head of my bed. I know that the pipes cannot be frozen and the sewer tank isn't showing full....hmmmm. Might have some leaky/broken pipes; won't Frank be thrilled to hear that?

Look at that face...pure innocence (haha don't let it fool you) :)

Happy Saturday

2007-04-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

You may be asking yourself "why did Marie post this random picture?" Well...let me tell you those three things are so tasty and you grow to appreciate them when you go for months without. The speech language pathologist was in Bethel and so Kat and I asked her if she would mind shopping for us and dropping stuff off at the airport to be flown out here. She went to the store and purchased my favorite ice cream :) it was on sale for about $6 for the container. When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised to find a container of fresh strawberries. Jana is so sweet. After getting groceries she went to subway and got us some sub sandwiches; she then took the box to the airport to ship out. Kat, Iain and I waited expectantly last night for the goodies, and they didn't come; finally Kat called the airline and they said "we decided not to fly to Tunt today" needless to say we were a bit disappointed but the box came just in time for lunch today. It was delivered to my door; free of charge.

Not much is happening here, we continue to work on winding down the year. Staff and students alike are getting more restless by the day. Weather is unpredictable...yesterday we had a hazy foggy morning, a sunny afternoon and early evening and all of a sudden the sun switched to a rainy snow mix.

Arriving home from work on Tuesday I tried to open my door...this is what I found in the entryway...what a disaster!! I turned the microwave on to fix something for supper, and it popped a breaker; guess where the breaker box is??

Inside my house this is what I found. They had the old floor torn out, insulation installed and new plywood down all while I was working... The Boss made sure I knew; no wet shoes, wet dog paws or dirt should be on the plywood or they wouldn't be able to cover it the following day. Rocky went to spend the night with Kat and Iain.And the finished product....isn't it beautiful :) The guys did a great job and what do you know? I can walk wherever I want to walk without fear of dropping through the floor ;) At first Rocky was unsure of what he thought, but has found the slippery floor very conducive for play time.

Well...all the exciting news I have for now...enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a wonderful week.

What more could a girl want?

2007-04-18T23:37:00.000-08:00

A new floor, running water, late night sunsets and almost done with the bulk of paperwork for the year. What more could a girl want??

The past few weeks have been crazy busy and I've been a hermit in the house much of the time. They have brought added stress with a few sticky situations and brought some big smiles in other situations.

The guys spent about four hours all told, unwiring and rewiring my cable and it is up and working better than it has all year. Amidst the sewer mess my boss came to check out the problem, stepped in one of the many soft spots in my floor and said "we have to get this fixed". Based on tundra time I had limited expectations. However two weeks ago he brought somoene in to look at the floor and again on Monday of this week he asked "can I take _____ over to show him your floor?" At 9:00 yesterday morning someone showed up and started tearing up my floor; by 6 pm last night they had reinsulated and had plywood down and by 4:30 today I have a brand new tile floor. I am blessed to have it and they were very efficient in getting it ripped up and a new floor installed.

The most exciting news is that on Sunday of this past week, my water started to work again. No words can begin to express how happy running water made this girl. (I know it's sad)

In 6 short weeks I'll be headed home for the summer, again don't know where this year went. I have 25 work days left, and in 2 weeks will be done with the classes I'm taking.

Our days are getting longer and longer and everyone is getting spring fever. Tonight there was a beautiful sunset around 11 pm and it is fairly bright out by 6 am. I'm looking forward to walks near midnight in a few weeks when it is still broad daylight and everything is peaceful. :)

Have a great week :)

Snow Day

2007-03-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Well...what do you know? Alaska does have snow days ;) This morning I received a call from the boss about 7:45 to say we were having a snow day and will make it up on Saturday. What a perfect addition to our "Spring" break. Today is the perfect day to curl up with a cup of hot cocoa and read a good book or watch a movie, however tomorrow will probably be the perfect day to play in the snow. The best news is that it has warmed up considerably. The current temp is 12F/-11C and feels like -7F/-22C with the windchill. Hope all of you are doing well, have a beautiful day.

The front of my house taken 11:30 am

Between my house and the school...the snow is a little over knee high in most places.

Spring Break

2007-03-25T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well...spring break is nearly over. We had last Thursday off for Spring Break (happy 1st day of spring March 21st) and We are given one free day to put into the schedule anywhere we want. So the boss put the free day in on Friday and we had an additional day off :) Was a welcome break, but went by so fast.

On Thursday, Nick and Dana planned to head out for some Manuking (forgive the spelling) otherwise known as jigging/ice fishing. Iain and I joined them. It was so nice to get out of the village for awhile, and the ride out on the river was absolutely amazing, a bit bumpy but so beautiful. If you ever want to visit the tundra let me know ;) Maybe I can get Iain to take you for a ride on the snow go or in the sled. ;) When we got out to the holes, Nick set to work chiseling through the ice that had formed since the previous Sunday. Iain was set up at the first hole and I got the second hole, by the time Nick and Dana started chiseling away at their holes, I had my first fish. (well...my only fish) Had a wonderful time but got way too cold. Came home and my feet were so so cold, as soon as they felt the warm air and started to thaw they hurt like nothing else. Needless to say, in the past two days I've ordered a new winter wardrobe.

Nick chiseling the ice out of the holes so we can fish

Not too much happened on Friday, stayed home did some homework and continued to thaw out my frozen feet. However I did have some excitement...as I was talking to Ehab about 3 am on Saturday morning I walked into my room for something and discovered sewer water pooling under the head of my bed. YUCK!!! The pipes seem to have been frozen for awhile and now...i turned water on to brush teeth and my bedroom flooded. Called the boss yesterday and he came to have a look. He thinks my sewer tanks is frozen as well as the pipe leading to the sewer so we plugged the heater back in, and when the tank thaws the heat should radiate up and thaw the pipe. Pretty much we have to wait until the weather warms up to help thaw things out. Meanwhile, I will use the school for all my water....life in the Tundra. ;)

If I close my eyes will it go away?

Last night I was invited out for supper, I went over to Kat and Iain's for Curry. It was my first time to try it and it was excellent :) Iain is a great cook. For desert Kat made "The Cake"...It was a wonderful evening out and the cousine was superb.
For more pictures you should check out Iain's blog: http://fouldsy.com

Fun times

2007-03-19T22:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Lance!!!

Today I came home from work and quickly threw together a desert pizza, called to wish my brother happy birthday and headed out the door to Kat's. Iain and Kat made calzones for supper and Jana the speech language pathologist was there. We had a great time and had many laughs....Kat and I don't find as much time to laugh over stupid stuff as we used to :) but always seem to have fun when we get together.

didn't take time to putz with making the chocolate look fancy today-but was still tasty :)

My sewer pipes are frozen making for an interesting situation....Since Travis plans to leave next year I'm seriously contemplating moving. The house is bigger, no flush toilet so no sewer problems, a bigger water tank, away from the traffic of the school, a bathroom door, and more room for Rocky to run...sound like reasons to move? Still contemplating.... :)

This week we have spring break and so we get two days off. WHO-HOO!! am going to get lots of work done.

Well I have some more papers to finish tonight.

Have a wonderful week :)

Culture Week

2007-03-17T01:52:00.000-08:00

Culture week 3/12/07-3/16/07

Net Mending: when out fishing in the fall big nets such as these are used, when the nets get holes, instead of purchasing a new net, the holes are repaired. In this picture, this elder is teaching a student how to sew and actually make new knots to repair the net.

Fluffy Knitting: a tough project, but turned out to be a lot of fun. This is the classroom I was in this week. We learned how to make a scarf and the kids had an amazing amount of dedication.

Some of the little guys learning how to make pot holders.

More of the younger kids making felt hand puppets.

2007-03-10T13:44:00.000-09:00

Here we are nearing the middle of march with about 11 weeks of class left. Where has the year gone?

This past week brought around lots of thoughts (surprise,surprise). Next year my position was to be divided differently as the district office said we only need one Special Education teacher at our site and we have two. The principal was given permission to hire another regular education teacher so that meant the other SpEd. teacher and I would likely be doing half sped and half regular ed. (are there enough hours in the day to do that job?) ;) However this week my colleague told me he will be leaving. Meaning I will be the only SpEd teacher here; at first I was stressed,thinking about next year and the challenges it will bring; it will bring a lot of work and I will learn more about teaching high school special education. However after much thought, I realized...I will have my VERY OWN classroom :) :) This makes me so happy and balances out the fact that I will double my workload.

The weather dipped into the frigid category this week. Regular temps were down to -20 F with windchill readings as low as-45. One day found us with no water in the school as the water was frozen and another day found us with no heat in half of the school. The dentist spent another two weeks camped out in our workroom and he flew out on Thursday.

Our high school girls basketball team is playing in the district tournament in Bethel this week, they flew out on Wednesday, just before windchills dipped below the point when they could fly. So far they remain undefeated; the final championship game will be tonight. Go Lady Blue Jays.

Next week will be culture week and Child Find (looking for kids that haven't entered school, who may have special needs) The following weekend brings around spring break and the end of 3rd quarter and then the last week we have parent teacher conferences again.

Days are getting noticeably longer, and though it's been cold the sun is warm and remains up for nearly 12 hours. I am getting spring fever and ready to be outside doing things. Tonight we will lose an hour of time due to daylight savings.

My verse right now continues to be.."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

Have a blessed weekend.

haha...tundra life :)

2007-03-02T16:36:00.000-09:00

Well..most of you that have followed my blog, know about the challenges in getting a sewer pumped here in the village. I know my sewer is approaching the full status, so I decided to try and beat the system and call before it reaches capacity. I called a few days ago and asked to get it pumped. I had to laugh because the response I received was "We are on hold, there are snow drifts in the way" Not a shocking response:) However on my way home from work today I was pleasantly surprised to see them backing up to my sewer tank to pump it out. A few minutes later, I heard a knock on the door. One of the guys who pumps sewers was knocking to say...."Your tank is frozen, you'll have to plug it in" Again....what else is there to do, but laugh. They will hopefully come back next week to pump it. I'm thankful that I've learned how to conserve water; and if I don't have water, the school is right next door :)

Many things to thank God for, and to smile about.

This morning brought another incredible sunrise and mountains were again visible in the distance. The day looks beautiful though is deceptively cold much of the day windchills are still -20's F or -30's C. I think kids are getting spring fever, they are more restless and ready to be out in fresh air, rather than cooped up inside.

This weekend brings about a weekend, full of lesson planning, writing papers, and writing IEP's . It should also bring around some nice weather, and maybe some time to go walking, or maybe if I'm lucky a ride in the sled ;)

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Wow...time sure flies

2007-03-02T00:02:00.000-09:00

Wow, here we are already in the beginning of March. Time sure does fly by.

This weeks news....the dentist has returned, and once again the workroom has been turned into a dentist's office. He realized what a great site Tunt is ;) The water guys are also back, I think the colder it is, the more they like to work.

Temperatures have dropped again, and in the last few days windchills have dipped to about -35 F and -38C. Tonight Kat and I braved a walk to the store, and found an eclectic assortment of stuff. (like a bucket for pooper scooping :P and a tea kettle) The walk to the store was bitter cold, but the wind pushed us on the way home. Planes cannot fly for school sports or other school activities when the temps drop to -35 F...it's too dangerous, even with snowpants, coat, and all skin covered. Planes will not fly when the ambient air temp is too low. Travis and some students were headed to Bethel yesterday but were stuck in the village due to the cold temps.

The highlight of my day today...I received sermon tapes in the mail from my church at home, it was so nice to hear a sermon and it spoke to my heart. God is good.

May you have a wonderful weekend, God bless.

BRRRR!!! but what an amazing sunset

2007-02-22T19:39:00.000-09:00

Tonight, Kat, Iain, Rocky and I all went for a lovely walk...very frigid but beautiful. We walked along the river from near my house, all the way down around the runway and airport. We then followed the boardwalk back into the village.

Bundled up from the walk....current temperatures read -1F and -18 C with windchills of -18F and -28C

Incredible eh?--Taken while we were standing on the river

Taken by the airport, while standing on the river...so pretty

Who-Hoo!!

2007-02-21T17:16:00.000-09:00

The only thing I can say is WHO-HOO!!! I feel like I've just finished a week of finals.

After about 15 hours of paperwork preparation and testing of a student. I had my biggest IEP meeting to date. I feel so much lighter and more relaxed now that I have that out of the way :) I have also completed my training for the alternate assessment....good reasons to celebrate I'd say :)

Now, the remaining task at hand is to catch up on my homework and I'm good to go.

Hmmm...other news....the washeteria has closed down indefinitely. This means that there is no laundromat for the people to use. The school washers have become more busy than ever.

This morning we had another incredible sunrise, and it was so clear once again the mountains were visible in the distance. Sun was coming up by the time I left for work, days are getting longer :). I wish I could try to explain the sunrises and sunsets; God has done an amazing job with His creation.

Happy Wednesday, have a wonderful day!!

Tundra Times

2007-02-19T23:20:00.000-09:00

This past week, sped by in a blur, and the weekend flew by even faster. Already nearing the end of February and we are in our 24th week of school...unbelievable.

Contracts came out and I have signed on for another year in the Tundra. Love the job, and feel I am getting to know the ropes and learning new systems for doing things. Next year the position could be a bit different, as we currently have two special education teachers and funding from the district office will only allow for one special education teacher next year. Travis or I may end up with new or additional job duties.

This week, I am in the midst of preparing for my biggest IEP meeting ever....will be a time to learn more and ask questions to people if I don't understand, and spend many hours in the next couple days in paperwork :P I am also working on completing my training for being an Administrator for the Alaska Alternate Assessment, I have had 10-12 hours of polycom (2 way video) classes, and spent about another 5 hours working on training on the internet from home. This week I am giving a practice test, which will be sent to the district office. The people in the district office, sped department, will grade my scoring of the practice test and then I should be a certified tester for Alaska. The actual alternate assessment won't take place until March and into April.

Hopefully..I will be able to get out and go jigging in the near future, maybe once I catch up on homework and school work :)--or maybe I should live life and go before I get that done...if I wait it may never happen ;) The weather has cooled off a bit but was clear and beautiful...today temps were about 0F and -18C; windchills are back between -20 and -30 F.

Verses I'm focusing on this week...."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him."

May your week be peaceful and filled with joy.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-14T19:09:00.000-09:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!
wishing all of you a beautiful day
Some of my Valentines--I love being a teacher :) don't those melt your heart?

News

2007-02-12T18:52:00.000-09:00

What do I have for news...hmmmm???

To start with, Kat and Iain had a beautiful wedding, the weather changed from frigid to sunny and beautiful and the day was perfect....Again CONGRATS!

The most exciting news that I have is that I HAVE WATER!!!---yes again, I went a few weeks with no water; let me add it makes things more interesting when you have the stomach flu and no running water...YUCK!

The weather here has been warm, around 32F/0 C however it has also brought on a surge of rain (great for the water tanks :) and many days we've had no planes due to wind, freezing rain etc.

One afternoon I saw a new person arrive, wondered who in the world this qassaq man was....the next day upon arrival at work I discoverd the staff room rennovated into a dentist office, complete with dental chair, and all things you see in a dentist office..The dentist took up residence in our workroom for about two weeks.

Throughout part of this time the water treatment building people were here, working from 7 am to 9 pm. making constant noise. This also meant water in the school was turned off for a weekend and a few weekdays after school. Hopefully the new water treatment center will be up and running with decent water by May. :)

As for me, my work load is gradually picking up speed. I am taking two classes and find the subject matter interesting (most times). I am working on getting my teaching license renewed for next year. I am certain about staying in Tunt. for another year, and beyond that....only God knows. I've had some opportunities and information sent to me for positions in Africa; God will open those doors if/when the time is right. I continue to think philosophically...I know that the semester I had philosophy was the worst of college....but now it's the way I think....who would have thought??
God continues to show his faithfulness, it is hard sometimes to stay on track and remain accountable while I'm up here. I have been blessed with online friends who either encourage me by sharing my beliefs, or challenging me because we have different beliefs. Though it's difficult...God continues to show me that He loves me more than any man in this world ever could and I need to have faith in all areas of my life---faith as a mustard seed, that will grow and branch out. We need to have a desire to follow, and act upon that desire. Desire can be asking the one we are closest too--our Heavenly Father, "ask and it shall be given unto you"

In the past few months, some of my online friends have challenged me and prompted me to do more research about the relations of religions...what are there similarities, and their differences? What are the fundamental beliefs in these religions? Most of the research has been in regards to Islam and Christianity; I've learned many things and come to understand more of what I believe, and to ground myself firmly. I've also had the chance to think, bounce questions off of, and discuss with my good friend, Abdelghani,who will explain the views he holds and ask about my views. I believe God is doing something with my online interactions, and is using it as a ministry field for myself and others. Sometimes this something...means life lessons that tug on the heart and pull and pull til you wonder what makes you stand. All in all...God is faithful, and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

Not sure that I have any other news for now...Have a wonderful day.

2007-01-27T19:49:00.000-09:00

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Foulds
May you have many wonderful years together.

Sledding

2007-01-21T22:05:00.000-09:00

What a beautiful day--Who will win the distance race?

That little one...loved the ride down but hated the climb back up.

This past week brought some beautiful weather. I was able to escape the classroom for a bit to go sledding with some of my kids :) We had the opportunity to take the speech language pathologist with us. She is from Texas and this was her first time sledding.

A nice break from school work :)

Happy 2007

2007-01-21T21:31:00.000-09:00

I have included some pictures of my time at home--and some people very important to me.

Spruce Hill Church 12/27/06--This is an 18 ft. tall Christmas tree from a nearby farm

Grandma and I

Well...here we are more than 2 months since my last post...what a slacker I've become. I was home for the holidays and had a wonderful time, it was great to see everyone and just have time away from work.

Rach, Mom and I at our Family Christmas 12/28/06

We have a lot more snow in the village, and it continues to fall, but the temperature has been decent and we have much to be thankful for. I have been without water all of this week again, this means showering and using the bathroom at the school--makes life interesting. I had guests for supper last night. We (well at least I) had a delightful time. Rocky has been a good little trooper, not chewing nearly as much and has been very content. He and Iain became friends over the holidays.

Everything was so beautiful--snow on the ground and frost covered trees.

This week we will have two funerals in the village, so things have been a bit irregular due to the days of mourning and trying to get back into routine after break. This week brings our third set of parent teacher conferences, I need to hurry up and get all my progress reports in. I am also taking two classes this semester...must have thought I was more bored than I really am. :) Enough of an update...enjoy the pictures :)

A bit of snow?

Crazy Busy

2006-11-19T21:03:00.000-09:00

Well....it's been forever since I updated, I'm sorry...I'll try to do better.

Well...lots has happened...

Halloween: we had a carnival at school, the kids were done with class at 12:30 and all staff and students then assembled in the gym. The students were divided into groups, with at least one high school student per group. The day was fun, and teachers were exhausted by the time the day was over....it's more exhausting to do a carnival than to teach all day.

Beginning of November....we had election day and voted for a new governor and oil tax as well as the local election.
Staff and students have been plagued with sickness. Nasty colds going around and one case of whooping cough among staff.

Last weekend I went on a trip as a chaperone for NYO (Native Youth Olympics) it's an interesting experience. The activities take a tremendous amount of strength. Our Jr. High team took 5th overall out of 11. Pretty good...this is the first time we've had an NYO team for several years.

This weekend Kat and I ventured out to Bethel it was a great get away. We spent 1 1/2 hours sitting in the newly remodeled airport (curtousy of Nick and his HS class)....needless to say our toes were well...numb might be an appropriate term...it's freezing cold out there. The first Yute plane came said "we don't have any seats" Kat and I were wondering what in the world...but smiled and laughed as we were starting our adventure. The plane came a little after six and I made my first ever trip going to or from Tunt in the dark. We could see all the lights from neighboring villages, and when flying into Bethel...Bethel looked like a metropolis. Let me tell you, Bethel is a HUGE city, with a grand population of maybe 6,000 people. Upon arrival in Bethel we checked in at the hotel dumped off our stuff and left for the grocery store. I spent entirely too much much on groceries..but it was worth every penny for the fresh produce and goodies that I purchased. We ordered out from our favorite place for supper friday night...I had americanized mexican food...this time the Enchilada's were not vegetarian enchiladas (last time they were made with Tofu). We had very happy tummies.

Saturday morning I woke up a little before six and laid there...a little after seven Kat says "are you awake yet?" I laughed and said yes. She turned on the light...and we went to the freezer to get our containers of ice cream. We returned to the room to eat ice cream and watch stupid cartoons. We got motivated and went to another grocery store, came back packed all our groceries from the previous day and headed for the craft sale. The craft sale was a bit disappointing this year. I did find some cute earrings and have a request in for my fur hat. :) We checked in at the airport early; they were able to get us on an earlier flight (ours was supposed to leave at 4...we left a little before 3) our groceries were delievered later. (Well...the 20 lb. turkey in my duffel bag flew on our plane...LOL--adventures). It was a nice weekend, and a welcome break; and a wonderful thing....Ehab was waiting to talk to me when I got home. :) (he's 11 hours ahead of us). It is getting much colder outside and days are getting shorter. Right now the temperature is about 8F or -13 C with a windchill of -4F or -20C. This morning sun came up about 9:15 and set around 5:00.

Hope you all have a wonderful week,

Updates

2006-10-29T19:26:00.000-09:00

What a whirlwind week. :) Beginning of the week was crazy busy. Travis came back from Juneau on Tuesday and had lots of stories to tell. I spent long hours at the school earlier in the week and found myself waking up extra early to work (and to chat with someone :$ ) On Wednesday we had four people from the district office in the school---talk about flying.

Our new boss (the director of special education) was amongst the ones who came out. He showed us a new program that he'd like to start using for paperwork...initially it will be a lot of extra work but in the long run I think it could potentially save hours of work and be more accurate than the program we currently use. He offered a lot of helpful advice and his visit turned out to be less daunting than I anticipated:)

We had our second set of parent/teacher conferences this week, and they went well. We had a good turnout.

My homemade blackberry jam was a hit. :)

The most exciting news of the week is that I have water--after 23 days!! :) The sewer was pumped and Mark came to fix something Friday after school---all I owe him is a bag of cookies :)

One of my co-workers came to me with a prayer request this past week--their baby grand daughter was being medi-vacced to Anchorage, she wasn't breathing and had a 25 min. seizure. She is doing better now, they have her off the respirator and she was given a diagnosis of phenomena and meningitis. Please keep this baby in your prayers. She is still in Anchorage with her parents. The other siblings are home with other relatives right now.

Rocky continues to try and eat EVERYTHING in his sight, he's chewed up my snow boots and chewed on my rain boots, and found the box of prizes I have for my kids. Gotta love him :)

Kat and I were going to head into Bethel this weekend to do some shopping and eat out. Upon second thought and looking out the window at school, we decided that we would rather stay home. I have no regrets as some people are still weathered out of the village. We had snow/rain and high winds.

Have a great week!!

Sunny Sunday

2006-10-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend, like all others has flown by. Yesterday we had a work day at school as it was the end of 1st quarter last week. I'm trudging my way through progress reports and other SpEd paperwork. Seems it's never ending.

Today is the first sunny day we've had in quite awhile. The kids are out and about, not just huddled on my steps or the school steps. Russian Orthodox church is holding a cake walk fundraiser today.

Friday night staff played the high school volleyball team and then we played staff vs. staff. It was an enjoyable evening. Travis is still in Juneau and will be back on Tuesday.

I am still without water. The boardwalks have not yet been replaced meaning the sewer pumping equipment can't make it to my house. It is a good lesson in patience for me :) I am thankful I live so close to the school. :)

Have a wonderful week!

The Stores

2006-10-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

We have three small stores in our village, each of them carries something the other one doesn't ...you never know what you may find at the stores. Oh...if we go anywhere on an adventure it usually includes a trip to the store. :) (Sound exciting?)

This is known as the Pavila or Angut Store--cheapest of the three stores

This is known as Book Store (no they don't sell books) or Paul Andrew Trading Post.

This is "The Corp" or Quinarmiut Corporation...This is the biggest of the three stores and the most like the stores at home.

The stores occasionally get things like bread, eggs and produce. You will never find a gallon of milk in the stores, and you usually don't find a pound of hamburger in the freezer.

Brief update

2006-10-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

Sorry to those of you who have been checking my blog the last few days only to find the same old entry. :)

Last few days have been hectic. Today was the last day of the quarter--the year is sure flying by. One of my one on one aides was gone for a few days...missed her TONS and gave her a huge hug when she came back :) The one on one aides that I supervise are amazing and when they are not around things just don't function properly. Thanks again Maat and Sylvia for doing an incredible job. We also had a visitor from the district office earlier in the week--they are a great resource and a tremendous help but the day is crazy busy when they come.

I've been working on paperwork...trying to stay caught up and if possible a bit ahead. Travis left today and will be gone about a week; he is attending a writers...something or other in Juneau.--Little sidenote...the radio is getting more and more enjoyable. :) I really enjoy the commentary, and something other than the monotony of my cd's. Travis has a growing selection of music. :) He is now doing school announcements in addition to reading the Principal's Monday news and has staff and students from the school record messages that he plays later.

Weather has been a bit warmer around mid 40's and rainy. Snow is again in the forecast for the next few days.

I still have no water in the house, as my sewer has yet to be pumped. They have to wait until the boardwalks are repaired. Water is still high from all the flooding, and some of the boardwalks (as mentioned) are pretty rickety (or broken).

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately...and find myself wondering how I could hate philosophy so much in college and find myself asking so many philosophical questions only a few years later. :)

Will try to post more pictures of the village tomorrow.

Tundra Adventures

2006-10-14T17:18:00.000-08:00

WOW!! What a week.

The first few days we had snow and stranded teachers. Then we had flooding and broken boardwalks. I have no water as the sewer tank was only partially pumped.

On Wenesday night I called and had Nick escort me home from school at 11:30 pm...kinda sad when I only live...50 feet from the school. He walked me home and called the VPSO. On Thursday our dog made enemies with someone..not the first encounter. However after much profanity and kicking the lady walked away. Needless to say she called my boss, and threatened to sue . What's happening these days?

Yesterday a plane crashed into the bank of the river. The nose is pretty beat up and windows on the pilots side are broken. The wing has been propped up to help slow the leaking gas. The pilot was the only passenger and is fortunate that only his face is banged up. It's a wonder he wasn't hurt worse. He was hauling about 1200 pounds of freight. Nick said the pilot tried to land about four times prior to the crash and he thought it was a new pilot.--Will try to post pictures later on.

Today the store had produce :) and more food. The shelves have been pretty bare for awhile and there has been no produce since we've been here. We ran into Nick and Dana at the store, they gave us a ride to the airport to look at the plane and the project the high schoolers have been working on. We were almost home, Kat and I and all the packages riding in the trialer, when the trailer veered left as the four wheeler continued straight. The trailer came unhooked and veered left off the boardwalk. Surprised us a bit and we were stuck amongst packages for a few minutes. Nick felt really bad..nothing he could do. Accidents happen. :) It was a bit of a drop but everything is wet and spongy..again the accident could have been much worse.

The guys who will be installing our new water treatment center have arrived. They are living in the spare house we have in exchange for helping Frank hook up the older housing to the school sewer system.

Tonight may be a good time to just curl up with a good book or watch a movie and drink some hot cappucino. :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Tunt Post Office

2006-10-11T23:02:00.000-08:00

Not much news today..these pictures of the post office were taken last week.
I haven't quite figured out how they manage to store all the outgoing or incoming packages sometimes. :) The snow has subsided for now--lower village boardwalks are flooded more than they were yesterday.

October or January? :)

2006-10-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

The weather continues to be crazy. This morning we had rain, followed by sunshine. The staff that was stranded made it back around 11 and around 11:30 heavy winds and more snow hit the village. Last night high tide moved in. Some of the lower parts of the village have water that is level with the boardwalks. A few of the boardwalks are uneven as one side of them slid off the stilts due to the high water. People are starting to pull boats in for the winter.

Today some of the troops that were home are leaving. They will be headed for Iraq.

This picture, taken from my porch, shows two things...first it shows precisely how far I live from work and it shows the school parking lot. :)

More Snow

2006-10-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

This morning at 5:00 I awoke to the pitter patter of rain, howling wind and a banging on my porch. Rain has drenched much of the area and costal villages are in danger of flooding. The rain has since turned to snow. Might have to break down and dig out the warm coat. We have 6 staff members that are stuck in Bethel right now. It's nearly impossible to try and find a sub for all of them. Planes aren't flying (which is why people are stuck); meaning mail is at a standstill.

Second snowfall 10/9/06 taken near my house. The little shrubs you see are what the kids know as trees.

Kat and I started our cooking class today. We had a small group, it should be fun. Several of the kids are 7th graders..we'll see if they stick it out. :) NYO (Native Youth Olympics) also started today. Kids are enthusiastic about it...hope the intrest doesn't wane as quickly this year. I think robotics maybe started last weekend if not it will be starting in the very near future.

Taken near my house 10/9/06

I left Rocky inside this morning as he bulked about getting his lazy bones off the couch. I came home this afternoon and he dismantled another pair of my fun scissors and started eating my snowboots. I'm afraid he's entirely too spoiled--and not getting attention from as many people this year as last. :)

Yes Rocky loves to chew...today he's chewing on someone's misplaced pants.

Snow

2006-10-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Yes that's right...SNOW!! It seems a little early to be having snow but when I woke up this morning the ground had a nice layer of white on it. It has since vanished due to the rain that followed this afternoon. Planes didn't fly today and several teachers (Travis, Josh and Melissa, Martina) are weathered out--couldn't get home.

The creative memories party went well and was a lot of fun--we had 12 people crammed into this little house. :) We survived without water, only one person asked where they could wash their hands. Kat and I improvised and did a quick version of "the cake"--was not quite as good as usual but still pretty tasty.

This is one of "THE CAKE"s that Kat and I made last year. The first time I made this cake I was experimenting....Kat came home and I told her not to look..I thought it was disastrous--she thought it tasted pretty good though so we continue to make it. :) Experiments can have some pretty good outcomes even when they aren't what you were striving for:)

This weekend I received notice that I'm considered highly qualified to teach in Alaska :) Currently there are no special education tests and since I'm also certified to do elementary I'm highly qualified in elementary self contained. Since I'm elementary highly qualified I'm enabled to do special ed pullouts in all academic areas (reading, writing, math). Government is starting to ask special education teachers to be certified/highly qualified in all areas in which they do pullouts. Hmm..I may rethink finishing up my middle and high school sped endorsement. :) Alaska is clamping down on their regulations (or so we've been told). Next semester I will take two classes to maintain my Alaska teaching license..also need to decide if I'll renew my Iowa license. Not sure yet how long I'll stay in Alaska. :)

Happy Monday!

Kat--I still say pirates are overrated--you're just going to have to deal. ;)

Adventures

2006-10-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

Some of the cakes for the cake walk

So...I have another story for you all..hope it makes you smile :)

This morning while getting ready for my day my sewer tank reached its capacity. What does this mean? It means the whole water system in my house turns off until further notice. Now...another little education on Tundra life...I could call and ask them to pump my sewer, they may get to it the same day or it may take them a week, you never really know. If you recall I posted a few days ago that the sewer pumping wagon is broken and sewers won't be pumped until further notice--it might be awhile before I have water in the house. So...I am expecting a house full of company tomorrow, have a sink with dirty dishes, a floor that needs to be scrubbed and no bathroom. Ever entertained people like that?? lol I'll head over to the school a little later with my dishes, not the first time and probably not the last. :)

I also found some game pieces that my little buggers hid when they were at my house the other day--you never know what they might get into and it takes them all of 2 seconds to find something. :)

Pround owner of the cool basketball cake :) For those of you who don't know how a cake walk works..we have numbers on the floor, music is played and people walk around on the numbers when the music stops everyone picks a number to stand on. A number is drawn from a box and if you're standing on that number you get to pick a cake.

Two happy little boys with a whole lot of cake :)

Friday :)

2006-10-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Here we are..another friday, another week of school already gone. We will soon be ending our ninth week of classes and be ready for round two of parent teacher conferences.

Oh.. a story..every Wednesday afternoon I bring some of my girls over to bake and cook at my house as part of their class schedule. This week everything was crazy..one of my little ones was showing a lot of siezure activity (about 7 in a half hour) and the girls were playing games and little toy instruments that I have. The one on one aides and I turned our back for a minute...and what do you suppose happens. One of my kids is hidden in my bed..all bedding up over the head. I was like "What??" My bed was made...it should have at least slowed the stinker down. Anywho..if you know me..you know I HATE stuff in my bed..no crumbs/dirt anything...needless to say muddy jeans and socks should never be in my bed. :$ I was stunned, and the one on one aides lectured in Yup'ik. I'm glad I have laundry on Wenesday nights :) Kat got a good laugh.

Todays staff meeting was amusing..Travis talked about his radio station..Greg talked about southern comedy that Travis could broadcast on the radio...everyone was pretty laid back. Kat and I had the giggles..Nick asked what was up and we giggled some more...Frank just looked at us wondering what in the world, and Travis just smiled. In the staff meeting we discussed all the wierd stuff happening in schools these days.....What is this world coming to? The shooting in the Amish school in PA, shooting in CO, shooting in WI, and on the North Slope (AK), some guy came in and whacked the electrician (who was repairing the fire alarm) with a meat clever and then went out in the village and stabbed his uncle's dog to death...YIKES!! We practiced lock down procedure today (something new to me) now we know how the whole process will work and know what needs to be tweaked. Our mix-six volleyball team traveled to another village to play their first game this weekend--kids were pretty excited :)

Tonight the girls high school basketball team held a cakewalk as a fundraiser. I scrambled home from school to whip up a cake, and then Kat and I went and walked at 6. Was fun...and as Kat calculated... the half an hour of entertainment cost us about $20. Greg made the evening entertaining...he danced all around the numbers all around the circle--what happened to the Greg we knew?? (not that we're complaining) :)

This weekend we have snow in the forecast..possibility of snow tonight, and possibility of rain/snow through Monday or Tuesday.

Dana has started selling Creative Memories stuff, we will be having a party at my house on Sunday....Should be a lot of fun :)

Will post some pictures from the cake walk later on.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Twins

2006-10-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

Well...Kat and I aren't the only twins :) These are my two one on one aides. They are amazing and if you have the opportunity to meet them...give them a pat on the back and thank them for a job well done.

Maat (Martina) and Sylvia

Election Day

2006-10-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today we voted for school board positions and another region postion. The principal encouraged all of us to get out and vote to set an example for the kids; we will wear our "I Voted" stickers tomorrow when we go to school. :)
Rocky remains one of the stinkiest dogs you've ever seen :P He is also a mischievous dog..this morning he chewed up some papers, books, markers, a box of crayons, a pencil sharpener, a video tape, and some of my fun scissors after I left for work. He's a smart dog...wish I had some kind of puzzle to keep him occupied while I'm at work.

What else is new...today is the first day I haven't had a splitting headache :D in the past week and a half..WHO-HOO!! On Sunday I made two batches of blackberry jam using about half of the berries I received for my birthday. The jam is a beautiful red violet color and has a unique flavor.

Kat and I will start teaching a cooking class next Monday after school--we've opened it up to students in grades 3-12 we'll see how much of a response we get....am kinda nervous, don't know how qualified I am to teach a cooking class :)

Weather was rainy again today with a high near 55..my water tank is full again. I almost had to haul from the school. :) We have also been alerted that sewers will not be pumped until further notice as their wagon for pumping has a broken wheel--makes conserving water more of a necessity. It's also nice that we live right next to the school and can dart over there to use the bathroom or shower if need be.
So...I've seen these things around the village but never knew what they were...I've learned that they are where people dump their honey buckets. Honey buckets are what some people use as their toilet..it is pretty much a 5 gal. pail with a toilet seat on it.

The scenery is beautiful--and the sunrises and sunsets are unexplainable--unlike anything I've ever seen in the lower 48.

The Gas Station

2006-10-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken at the end of April...Nick, Dana and I were going out on the river to go jigging (ice fishing).

The inside of the station sells things like you'd see in a convenience store: candy, pop, jerky etc.

Outside by the pump. The school snow go and sled. Sleds like this are common and are used to transport things like wood for the steam houses, and are taken hunting/fishing etc. I love riding in the back of the sled...Nick and Ryan gave us some good rides last year :)

2006-10-03T07:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Iain!!

Fish

2006-09-30T23:59:00.000-08:00

So I have received another fish..again not gutted....I took a look at the fish and said "umm..I think I need someone to help me with this." good thing, as this fish isn't taken care of the same way as the first one. :) Thank goodness Joann and Lucy were able to come to the rescue.

Joann came over and asked if I had cardboard, we took out a box, spread it out on the floor, and Joann says "okay you're going to do this" we tried using a knife but it just didn't work the same way as the ulu. First, you have to scale the fish, and then cut the head off, and then cut down the middle to remove the guts.

I keep acquiring these fish and am very thankful for the meat, will have to master the skill of cleaning and cooking them though :) As Maat would say...I'm on my way to becoming an "Eskimo Woman". The fish was very slimy. :P All in all it wasn't bad, it was...an adventure :D

Yuck!! first time, I've seen fish eggs up close, they are so tiny. Joann laughed at me as I tried to clean the fish using a spoon--Need to stop being a pansy and just get dirty. :)

Russian Orthodox Church

2006-09-30T10:58:00.000-08:00

This is the old Russian Orthodox church; looks a lot bigger on the inside. I think it could make someone a cute house if given some attention.

The current church

Russian Orthodox cemetery. In response to numerous questions....during the winter ice picks or similar tools are used to chip through the ice to dig the grave.

Tunt Beauty

2006-09-29T23:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight the mix-six high school volleyball team took on the staff. Nice to be out and to mingle with the other staff outside of school. After the games Kat and I headed over to the Hultbergs for a game of Seafarers.--It was an enjoyable evening and attitudes and tempers were more mellow than usual.

Our Friday staff meeting dealt a lot with language. Is it okay to allow students to use Village English? or should they be expected to use standard English? Lots of interesting discussion ensued. Are they able to master standard English when using Village English or their native tongue? If a student is proficient in one language does it make acquisition of a second language easier or is it more confusing to make transitions?

Tuntutuliak woods. This was taken on my favorite path in Tunt....what a gorgeous afternoon.

This picture portrays a bit of the daily life in Tunt. The big green building (the shop) is Nick's classroom, the raised, fenced in area is the basketball court where kids hang out after school. My house is next to the shop and the school is further to the left.

Look at God's artwork; isn't it amazing?

Almost Friday

2006-09-28T22:37:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind week...speech language pathologist was here yesterday and today...she has had a lot of helpful information and been great with the kids; she's been teaching me a lot of new things. :) One of my one on one aides had jury duty this week, it's difficult to find a sub for their positions; it makes for a crazy irregular week. Today marked the completion of the district wide writing assessment. Hard to believe how fast this year is flying by. I've been fighting a migraine since about last Friday; have a lot of work to catch up on as a result.

Tonight Joann was here, she helped make bread and then we went for a nice walk.

Yesterday a barge was here, unloading gas. Tunt purchased their first propane tank this summer and another one came on the barge. The barges are huge, and quite impressive. There should be another headed for Tunt. loaded with our water treatment supplies.

Frank is in hopes of connecting the older teacher housing to the main sewer system when the guys are here to install the water treatment system. Currently he pays to get our sewers pumped once a week. It costs $67 per tank per week.

Weather continues to cool off..today we had more rain (again, nice for the dwindling water tank) the boardwalks are getting slippery around 8:30-9:00 when it cools off.

Ugly Sweater Day :)

2006-09-26T18:01:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I ordered a cute sweater online....well when it arrived it wasn't nearly as cute as the pictures showed, it is however very soft and very warm.:) I kept telling Kat about the ugly sweater and she asked to see it when she came over last Friday night. I showed her and she says "that's not ugly. Do you want to know why that is not ugly? I ordered the exact same sweater" We had a good laugh :) So today was ugly sweater day. Now we have matching qaspeqs and matching sweaters. Great minds think alike.

After taking the picture of the matching sweaters, one of my gems wanted to take a picture "Me Too!! Me Too!"

The first frost appeared in Tunt this morning. The days are getting cooler, and nights are quite chilly, almost cold enough to think about digging out the winter coat. Rocky has earned the title of stinkiest kussaq dog the last two days. Last night while Kat and I were on our walk, he rolled in something NASTY. Whenever he ran within five feet of us we had to cover our noses; the stench was awful. His fur is caked, looks like he put gel in it. YUCK! He was going to sleep outside last night but is way to spoiled and barked until I let him in. He is banned from most of the house until he has a bath.

Travis is getting more courageous with his radio...called a bit ago to see if I was listening (wasn't, oops). I turned the radio on, and now he's chatting (first time he's used the mic)...."Well might have at least one person listening...Marie are you there? Are you there? Gonna play a song for Marie, gotta find a good song...still looking...looking..looking....all right marie found your song, it's up next..man this song is long...okay,okay marie here's your song..happy birthday, last week was marie's birthday..she turned about..how old were you marie about 45? LOL, sounds almost like he's singing along...no idea what the music is but it's not bad :) "alright, got my new toy going, now you can hear me. this one's for nick, this is nick's song" okay, enough of the radio programming in Tunt.

I'm finding all this radio stuff rather amusing. :) hope you enjoyed the commentary.

Have a great day

Tunt happenings

2006-09-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

This weekend there were district church meetings held in town for the Moravian church. This afternoon there will be a sale at the community hall for the Russian Orthodox church. I baked some things for a bake sale last year and then attended the sale. It was a very unique experience--will try to attend another bake sale this year, maybe get some pictures. The sale this afternoon might be more of a craft sale..homemade wooden spoons etc. I may go to try and purchase some Christmas gifts.

Tunt near the airport 9/21/06

Last night found us at Jason and Kimberly's house playing games. It's so interesting to see how dynamics change with just two new teachers. It's different not having Ryan, Katy and David around. Ryan and Katy-always sweet and encouraging and two steps ahead in thinking about others--glad to hear they seem to be doing well in OR. Miss David's sense of humor and sarcasm. We (nick,dana, kat, kimberly and jason) chit chatted, had snacks and played kat's new game.

I've been shopping for plane tickets to return after Christmas and for a trip to Juneau over Thanksgiving. PFD fares are out. This means that Alaska Air drops their prices for about 6 weeks so that people who get their dividend checks will purchase sale priced tickets.

Last week Prism Optical people were here to check eyes and the people from the village could order contacts or glasses. Most people who visit stay in the school overnight as there isn't a hotel. :) We have mattresses upstairs for people to use and visitors can buy the school lunches as we don't have a restaurant.

The weather here remains cloudy and rainy and yesterday was chilly. It was dark, dark at 9:30 last night.

A Virtuous Wife

2006-09-23T22:14:00.000-08:00

My cousin sent me a study in an email and I was challenged by it. Before you read her study I have a some words I'd like to share. Many women are in the same shoes as I am right now. Longing to be in a relationship (or running from one), longing for the right person, looking into our hearts to see who we really are, refining who we are, reminding ourselves of the person we should be and our roles in a relationship. What qualities do we want in a future spouse? Why do these characteristics jump out? Why are they important? Often we forget that we are to be the bride of Christ and that our relationship with Him should be first and foremost in our lives. It is easy to put worldly relationships and worldly possessions before the relationship with our heavenly groom. Our Heavenly Father longs to be loved by us in the same way we long to be loved by someone else. Beth, my cousin, took the passage from Proverbs 31 and looked at it as being The Bride of Christ. She introduced the following document with this statement: "This passage is no longer a guide for finding the perfect woman to live with, nor is it a "how to" guide for women in becoming every man's dream. It's God's love letter to us, modeling and challenging us (men & women alike) to become His dream." One more thing: Remember you are beautiful inside, your inner beauty radiates out. God made you in His image you are fearfully and wonderfully made. (Gen. and Ps. 39) "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment..instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." ~1 Peter 3:3-4

May you be challenged and encouraged as you read this.

September 20, 2006
Elizabeth Burkholder

Preparing as the Bride of Christ
Will I be a “virtuous wife”?
a unique study of Proverbs 31:10-31

10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.

Do I sense my great worth as the King’s bride?

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.

Can God trust me for gain in His kingdom?

12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Am I always “good” to God? ever “evil” to God?nt>

13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.

What are the wool & flax of my calling? Do I actively seek out the materials & environment necessary to fulfill the duties of my calling? Am I willingly working in my calling?

14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.

Do I go to great lengths to feed my soul?

15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

Do I awake early just to prepare to provide for His sheep? Do I remember to serve & thank those serving around & under me?

16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.

Do I weigh my decisions, then walk confidently in them? Do I follow up on the fruits of my labor to ensure their profits also?

17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.

Do I do my part to stay strong for tasks ahead… spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially?

18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.

Do I value the gift of salvation I preach? Do I keep the flame of faith burning?

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.

Do I reach out my hands at opportunity to serve?

20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

How am I serving the needy?

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

Are the Family members under my care ready for the storms of life?

22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Am I clothing myself with Christ for the approaching wedding day?

23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

Am I spreading the Groom (Christ)’s fame?

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.

Am I helping to clothe others for the wedding day?

25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.

Am I wearing strength and honor? Is that what others see?

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

Does my mouth speak wisdom & kindness?

27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Am I actively involved in the lives of other believers: watching and stepping-in to speak wisdom as God shows me?

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:

Do my spiritual offspring see that I am blessed?

29 “ Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”

Am I running the race to bring my best to Jesus?

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Do I fear the Lord, recognizing that true beauty lies within?

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Do I sense the freedom that God has given me to serve Him with my gifts?

Who Me??

2006-09-22T08:15:00.000-08:00

Someone gave me these pics today :)

Who me?? Sweet and Innocent!! :)--(hehe)

The Mischievous Duo-- Winter 2005

Angniq anutiiq! (Happy Birthday)

2006-09-21T22:28:00.000-08:00

My card from Kat and Iain

Thank You for all the birthday greetings. It has been a great day.

My Present from Travis--Tundra style wrapping paper :)

Most embarrasing/sweet thing today was Maat (Martina)--I walked into the cafeteria after my lunch break at 12:15 all the kids grades 3-12 turned and looked at me and started to sing Happy Birthday. Very sweet Maat; totally unexpected :)

My Cake: Maat and Sylvia planned last night during a steam...Sylvia walked in with Cake and Maat walked in with Jello. Maat says "I knew no else would make you a cake"

My new Ipod arrived today, I've spent time this evening playing and figuring out how it all works. :) I also received a HUGE bag of blackberries and a smaller bag of smoked fish strips as a birthday gift. Thanks to Everyone for a GREAT day :D

The card Kat's kids made

2006-09-20T17:17:00.000-08:00

Today was crazy..and my routine was... well...far from normal. One of my kids who occupies a great portion of my time was sent home yesterday with a fever and flu like symptoms. Today I walked a student home that had pink eye, not just in one eye like yesterday but in both eyes. Needless to say half an hour later the student was back in school.

No baking was done today, I had two aides who needed jobs and a pretty free afternoon....Our classroom is very well stocked with TONS of stuff from the DO (district office) all of it is nice and useful but adds a lot of clutter to the room. So I had my aids start pulling stuff out this morning and cleaning cupboards. They did an awesome job, cupboards look much better and I have things that will be useful that I hadn't ever seen. We had boxes of stuff stored up on top of our cupboards and were able to find a home for much of that stuff. We decided we were done for the day a little after four. I have two incredible one on one aides, they are very helpful, listen when I tell them what needs to be done, and know how to brighten one's day. Sometimes they know me too well--and can come up with something out of the blue that embarrasses me beyond belief..oh well, guess it's part of life huh? :)

I received another fish today, this one is a white fish and is much smaller than the salmon. It came fully gutted; thank goodness. :) By the time I leave here I should have perfected the skill of fish cooking. It'd be fun to learn how to cut fish as well.
Speaking of cutting things...in Alaska many people use what they call an Uluaq (sorry, may be spelled incorrectly). They are called an ulu for short. Last year I purchased one from a friend. I was hesitant because of the cost, but have learned to really like it. It works great for chopping nuts and vegetables. Our school cook uses one for chopping up tomatoes, or meat all the time.

My Ulu--If you turn the Ulu upside down you will notice that it is shaped
like a walrus.

Random Ramblings

2006-09-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

Will try to keep people updated more frequently on the happenings of life in Tunt. and hey...if you get bored you don't have to read them :)

This week has been long and it's only Tuesday..weekends seem to fly by, not quite sure where they go. A lot has happened in the last few weeks...the rain continues and so my tank is still full--it's nice to have such beautiful water to brush teeth, take showers, and even wash dishes with. Between head lice, vomiting kids, pee on the floor and possible pink eye I sometimes wonder why I signed up for this gig. I jokes...I love my job and the kids and staff I have the opportunity to work with. I received one of the biggest compliments yesterday as I was cleaning up the floor.."did__pee on the floor?.....makes me almost want to be a special ed. teacher" Being a Sp Ed teacher (or any teacher) definitely has it's challenges and can be so overwhelming at times but the rewards are so incredible and sometimes come from out of no where. I have learned a lot in the past year, and still have so much to learn...wonder what I'll think when I look back on these first few years ten years from now...

This afternoon I received a phone call..wondering if my dog was in as they were out shooting again. I was thankful I left Rocky in the house today--as we were still on the phone I looked out my classroom window to see two people walking around with rifles. Rocky hates being tied up so I sometimes let him loose, but am concerned he'll be shot--he is not on the best of terms with the VPO.

Enjoy some MN scenery--this was taken while overlooking one of my dad's rye fields
(needed to add some kind of color to this drab page. :) --will get more AK pics soon)

Today found me doing detention duty..I had a classroom of kids, I'm not sure if detention is for the teacher or for the students :)--Boy was it BORING!!--I think it's great to have a detention system in place, and am thankful we only have to do it about once every two and a half weeks. I sent someone to the principals office for the first time this year today, my student was very remorseful and I felt bad about it for awhile. I've some problems with swearing this year from one particular student...as bad as it sounds sometimes I have a hard time not smiling or laughing because of the way the words are said, and sometimes she is so sneaky she just laughs after swearing. I'm not quite sure how to eliminate it--ignoring doesn't help and it's not accecptable language for school....any suggestions??

Kat and I just returned from a nice walk....it's nice to get out of the house after being cooped up with all the rain. I was starting to get cabin fever. :) Hours of daylight have diminished greatly in the short time I've been up here. This morning at 8 the sun was starting to peek out and now at 9:30 it's dusky.

My big investment of the week/birthday present to myself (kinda selfish I know) :) Is an ipod and speakers. The speakers have arrived and the ipod left Anchorage so it should be here any day...can't wait to play with it.

Travis continues to make revisions to his radio and his playlist..he got a bunch of new music in the mail today, has started reading the Monday news, and today had people in the school record little bloops saying...FM100. It is fun to watch him and see how excited he is with the whole thing. :)
well...I'd best go find my sinks, my girls will be coming over tomorrow and they love washing dishes, last week they discovered the spraying hose and thought it great fun. :)

Congratulations Kristen and Sudhir--The wedding pics I have seen are beautiful.

Church

2006-09-17T22:40:00.000-08:00

Today Nick, Dana, and I met for the first time this year for church/Bible study. We read a passage from Ezekiel 40-41 that talked all about the new temple. It is amazing to me to read about all the detail and all the dimensions. Detail was given in cubits and handbreaths, if you look a cubit is about 1 1/2 feet and a handbreath 3 inches. Detail was given to the carvings on the walls of the temple...there were palm trees and cherubim--the cherubim had two heads, one like man and one like a lion--I'm curious as to the significance of these things; why were these objects chosen for the carvings? The pattern was palmtree, cerubim, palmtree,etc. Another thing that caught my attention was the use of directions; "the chamber facing south is for the priests who have charge of the temple and the chamber facing north is for priests in charge of the alters." It made me think of other religions who pray in certain directions. When reading my Bible previously the use of directions has never jumped out like that before.

After reading in Ezekiel we read from Psalms 128--which brought up a lot about fearing the Lord and being blessed. After Psalms we continued to Revelation 21. We read about all the splendor of the temple in Ezekial but Revelations talks about Heaven, and it is so mind boggling, so hard to try and even imagine. There was an angel measuring with a rod of gold and walls were approx. 200 ft. thick, the city as mentioned is nearly 1400 miles long, wide and high...can you imagine..that's huge. 12 is a number that comes up a lot..12 jewels, 12 gates that are like 12 pearls..and "the city was pure gold, transparent as glass" (Rev. 21:21)....hmmm...lots of interesting things to ponder :) thought i'd share some of my thoughts.

May you have a blessed week.

Tundra Times

2006-09-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

BANG, BANG, BANG! the sound resonated through my little abode. What in the world is going on? I was in the middle of trying to take a nap; what is all the racket? Then I hear "What are you doing?" "What?" "Where are you?" "Under the house?" I decided I needed to do some investigating...I went out on my porch in time to see Nick carrying some boards. Mr. Handyman to the rescue again. Yet again my cable wasn't working, courtesy of the dogs running under the house, Nick wired the cable back together and surrounded it with boards so it is impossible to pull loose. After nearly three weeks I'm able to watch tv again.

We have had a plethora of dogs running through the area lately. One of them bit Rocky's face a few days' ago and snapped at me. They come up on my steps and camp out, have decided it's the honeymoon suite and when the opportunity arises they like to sneak into the house. Nick built a gate at the top of my steps so that I can keep 2 legged and 4 legged creatures out; giving Rocky some extra space and freedom. The 2 legged creatures now have a new game, how can we climb over the gate onto the porch and how noisy can we be. It's kind of amusing to watch them. The novelty of the gate will soon wear off. Yesterday after complaints from people within the school the VPSO and his help, captured and eliminated some of the dogs who had been a problem outside the school.

Rocky

Today I survived the monotony of a Special Ed inservice via the polycom..Travis and I were camped out in the school library all day, watching this and that. Our aides (angels) joined us this afternoon for training and they have three more hours in the morning; I think I'm going to make a nice breakfast to take up to them since they have to sit there.

The high of my day would have to be that it is Friday and that it is pay day. Rent this year is lower than I expected and I have more sick days/personal days than I anticipated. Kat and I may travel to Juneau over Thanksgiving break too bad we can't extend a holiday with our personal days :)

What are blankets for??

Rocky has been such a good little trooper, he isn't fond of being home by himself all day, but is doing very well. He has become very needy, at night when I come home he crashes right next to the couch or next to me on the floor, and whines if he's not receiving constant attention. When I'm in the kitchen he follows me all around.

The best discovery of the week is pandora.com you can search for music that you like and it pulls from artists with similar styles, the music is continuous, with no commercials and it doesn't have to stop every two minutes to buffer.

Weather has been moderately warm, and we have had a steady supply of rain. My water tank is full to the brim, I'm very thankful. The tundra continues to look more and more like fall...with hues of brown and yellow. Commercial fishing has ended and we are at the end of the blackberry season, red berries are starting to appear.

Need to sign off, am going to make a birthday present for my SpEd associate teacher...the sped staff is well represented with birthdays in the first month of school :)

Have a relaxing weekend.

Bethel Inservice

2006-09-10T02:17:00.000-08:00

We have returned from our adventure in Bethel. We flew out on Friday afternoon--we weren't supposed to have a charter with one of the little airlines but they forgot, and didn't have us on the schedule...needless to say they lost all school travel business from the school. Josh, our designated school travel agent, called another airline and they got us a charter and were in Tunt within 45 minutes.

This mural is painted on the wall in one of the Bethel Airports

We arrived in Bethel around 3:30--meaning we had a whole afternoon for fun and relaxation. Kat and I checked in at the Hotel and then walked to Corrina's--a great grocery store in Bethel selling lots of food in bulk (kinda like a small Sam's Club) After a fun trip to Corrina's we went to Swanson's another grocery store, we recieved a 15% off coupon... after $100 worth of groceries (each) we were on our merry way :) Swanson's is about a block or a block and a half from the hotel we were staying at Kat and I were too cheap to pay for a cab...I mean $8 for a block, no thanks; but our boxes were a little too heavy to carry all the way back sooo....we borrowed a cart. We decided to push the cart to the Bed and breakfast. Now for those of you who need an education on Bethel...Bethel is very muddy and sloppy during the rainy season, and some of the roads are gravel/sand/clay--Kat and I pushed and pulled the cart through the muck to get our stuff home. A year ago, I probably would have been horrified at the thought of taking a cart, and to be honest I can't quite believe we did it. It was an enjoyable walk and we kept others entertained in the process. :) We returned the cart on our way to play a game with Nick and some other teachers from Kipnuk.

This is inside Hagelands--one of the small Bethel airports

You never know what you might see when you're in Bethel...always something new and exciting. This weekend it was the barges. There are barges that come to deliver goods to Bethel and to the villages. Last year the furniture for new teacher housing was on a barge, this year a new water treatment facility is on a barge and headed for Tunt. Frank (our Site Administrator/principal) is in hopes that it will be done by next year.

The barge...we saw a few barges parked in Bethel; they are massive!

Welcome to Tuntutuliak--This is our airport in Tunt

Hope your day is filled with many smiles. :)

2006-09-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy, short week. Tuesday was our only full day of classes. Monday was Labor Day and we had parent teacher conferences Wed and Thursday. Today students will be dismissed at 12:50 so that we can attend a polycom (2 way video) training. 2nd year teachers and site administrators are to fly to Bethel this afternoon for inservice.

Weather has been iffy the last few days; cooler, very windy and lots of rain. Planes were grounded for awhile, and we may get weathered in Tunt today. For those of you who don't know, many things revolve around the two words "Weather Permitting" planes don't fly in inclement weather. This means no mail, and no adventures outside of the village unless you go by boat or snow mobile.

Last weekend one of the younger kids caught two seals, this is very exciting as it was the first time the student caught a seal. I learned that the first time a seal is caught it is cut up traditionally, the fins (or whatever they're called) lay across the front of the seal and where the fin ends they start cutting. They cut from the fins down and share that meat with other people; primarily elders. The meat from the top of the fins up (the head) is the meat the family will keep.

Blueberry picking

2006-09-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, on a rainy sunday afternoon I went berry picking. I went out with the principal and his family and a few other teachers--we took the principal's boat and went just across the river. Walking on the Tundra is like walking on a big sponge or walking on bogs in the pasture. The tundra is made up of mosses, with short little roots because of permafrost. If you look closely you can see the blueberries. :)

2006-08-31T21:37:00.000-08:00

Today was beautiful, sunny and warm; there was a slight breeze so the no-see-ums(little gnats that come in swarms and they bite) weren't bad tonight. :) Filled up my water tank and put away some of my groceries that I ordered (sad when you get a box of groceries and are excited) :) Kat, Joann and I went for a lovely walk tonight.

Yesterday I brought some of my girls over to bake--we usually do this once a week. We made two batches of chocolate chip cookies. They had some to take back to school for staff and some to take home to their parents. They have been asking all week when they would bake, and today they asked again if they were going to make cookies. I had to tell them six more sleeps. :)

This was a LONG week at school, I think everyone is a bit tired trying to readjust to the school schedule and trying to get organized. Sickness has started to plague staff...Kat has been sick all week, Greg and Melissa, and the new teachers have all been sick or are getting sick.

Yesterday our new speech and language pathologist came for a visit. She is very sweet, helpful and efficient. We've had almost an entire turn over in our SpEd staff from the district office this year. It'll be interesting to see who the new staff is and how policies may change.

Saturday is considered a work day for us in preparation for parent teacher conferences. However we have Monday off....most of us are ready for a three day weekend; still getting back into routine. :) Next weekend I start some of my SpEd. meetings and then parent teacher conferences and back to Bethel for inservice.

I had a four wheeler lesson the other day from Maat, will be expecting another one in the near future ;) --Jo you'd like it.

The tundra is turning more and more red, the little white tufts that look like cotton are starting to disappear and days are getting shorter. Days have been warm and breezy, great to go for walks and to air out the house.

Some of the high school students have transferred out and some of them are getting ready to start classes at Mt. Edgecombe boarding school in Sitka. There's been a lot of discussion among staff/community about the phase system lately; wonder where things will be 3 years from now.

Today found some of my students and I out on the playground in an intense game of tag, Was a lot of fun and a welcome break. Speaking of TAG's the TAG game Kat and I started last year has resumed. Kat got me the other day, she thinks we should tag the new teacher-I'm not so sure about that; at least until I know her a little bit. All and all the mischievious duo has been pretty laid back this year. We're hoping to get some better reactions out of certain people this year. :)

Kat came over tonight and we hung out for awhile, it's nice having our own places but we miss getting together. We made homemade pizza and just chit chatted light heartedly.

I get my computer back on tuesday and hopefully will be able to post some more pictures of village life.

Have a wonderful week. :)

Oh..I've been reading the book and doing the study "Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul" by John and Stasi Eldredge--I would recommend it for all my female friends, it's an excellent book.

Friday :)

2006-08-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning and peeked outside the sky was breathtaking--there was a haze across the village and hues of pink and blue were poking through. Pictures can't begin to do the beauty of a sunrise or sunset justice. The temperatures have been warm today and it rotates from cloudy to sunny.

Upon arrival at school I was greeted with a chipper "Hi Marie" from one of my little gems. This is a common greeting however this morning, this student had a very blue mouth, black fingers and dark blue spots on her sweatshirt...(hmmm, what do you suppose she got in to now?? :)...a bit later I noticed the bulging pockets. With a little prodding she removed handful after handful of tundra blackberries from her pockets. I notified her mom later in the school day; her mom said I could keep the berries and make a pie or something with them.

Berries have been very abundant...salmon berry season is almost over and the blackberries are just coming out. One of my staff members had over 35 gal. of salmon berries. I am going to use some of the strawberries I picked when I was home to make a strawberry pie for some of the staff in exchange for something with salmon berries.

One week of school has come and gone, today we had our first Friday staff meeting. We tested out the new smart board (very nice) had training on the teacher evaluation system which has changed a little bit since last year; they also added a new packet for special ed teachers to be evaluated on. This is nice for us as it is more appropriate for assessing what we actually do. Amongst other things Frank has done a lot of work to make things more organized and easier for the staff; we have a principal interm this year which is also nice.

Should get going...Nick has volunteered to help out with a project once again. Rocky went under the house the other day, and cut my cable for the TV in half. Nick called and asked if he could fix it, again I am blessed with great co-workers. :)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend :)

A few more pics

2006-08-21T22:27:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pics of the house. Notice in the picture of the bathroom there is a big gray tank, that is my water tank, it is filled by rainwater or I run a hose from the school--I have learned that my house wasn't designed for short people :) In the arctic entry (porch) you'll notice rocky's favorite place to curl up. :) The pic of the house was taken from the top of the school steps.

some new house pics

2006-08-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy week since I last posted.

Nick came the other day and installed a rain gutter on my house, the rain gutter feeds into my water tank in the bathroom. The next morning it rained and my tank was full of beautiful rain water. I am blessed to work with so many wonderful people, people who genuinely care and who just do random acts of kindness.

Last week was filled with the monotony of inservice and a work day. All staff was invited over to Josh and Melissa's on Thursday night for an all staff potluck, we had some tasty berry akutaq (eskimo ice cream) and numerous kinds of salmon.

School started on Friday (the 18th) and we only went until noon. The weekend was way too short and I didn't get nearly enough done. I think the new teachers are feeling overwhelmed, they spent all day saturday and all day sunday in the school.

My computer was acting goofy and the district tech. person sent it in to apple...i'm hoping it will be back before long. All of our SpEd. scheduling is done..WHOHOO!! this was a HUGE headache last year. I'm very excited about this year and the way things are balanced out it shouldn't be nearly as stressful.

It is amazing to come back as a second year teacher. We (Kat and I) see the village in a whole new light. The village is viewed as home and it is so beautiuful, last year we missed the natural beauty of the fall. We have seen the importance of stopping and taking time to enjoy things, and though school is important it's not our life.

This past weekend Travis hooked up the first radio to ever be broadcast from Tunt. Yesterday we were listening to what I call Travis FM. He is very excited and it's fun to be able to turn on the radio and hear something.

On saturday someone called and asked if I wanted a salmon--I said sure. Needless to say I know nothing about cutting or cooking fish. Nick came over and showed me how to gut the fish and cut it up, we'll see if I can figure it out next time. :)

The new thing in Tunt...is the game Nick brought back with him. It's called "settlers of Catan" or "seafarers of Catan" we have played at least one game every day (minus one) since we've been back.

Well I'm just rambling now, Enjoy the pictures.

Bethel to Tunt--Airports

2006-08-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the flight we had returning to the village after inservice in Bethel. They show some of the Bethel airports, one in the plane,some pictures of the tundra, and some as we were flying into land in Tunt. Sorry the pictures aren't so good.

2006-08-12T00:53:00.000-08:00

The start of the school year is quickly approaching. 1st and 2nd year teachers went to Bethel for inservice this past week. I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of my former peers at Northwestern is now teaching Special Ed. in a village in our school district..nice to visit with her for a bit. Inservice was monotonous but a great chance to chat with fellow teachers.

We saw our new special ed. director (my boss in the district office) for a bit yesterday. He seems like a great guy and from the little bit we saw, he really knows his stuff. Yesterday morning Span Alaska (one of the places we can order groceries from) gave away four door prizes. Kat recieved one and I recieved one...Tunt was well represented :)

It was nice to shop a bit in Bethel and get some produce that we didn't have, nectarines were on sale for $1 a pound and they looked nice. :) We also received 5% off from our total order at one of the stores in Bethel. The stores are prepared for teachers and have boxes on hand and will box up all your food so it is easier to haul to the village.

It has been a bit rainy around here and cool (the cool weather is a relief after the HOT weather we had in the lower 48 :) Nick, Kat, Travis and I all flew to Bethel on Tuesday afternoon, the weather was bad in Bethel so we landed in Napaskiak (another village...a stone throw from bethel) for awhile until the weather was clear enough. Yesterday when inservice was over, many of the planes weren't flying. The bigger planes started flying around noon, and the 207's started flying a couple hours later.

We loaded our plane for the village at the expected time, but sat on the runway for awhile, the ceiling was too low, and 15 planes were waiting to land and four more were waiting to depart before us. The flight from Bethel was a nice flight we were on a bit bigger plane (Cessna 208 caravan) so we had more room and the flight only took 20 min. :) I took some arial photos and will try to share those later.

will write more later. :)

Back in Tunt

2006-08-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I am back in the village. It is so good to be back, and to see all the teachers. Rocky is thrilled to be home and has adjusted well to our new house. :) No messes and he is sleeping all night.

I am almost settled into the house, have cleaned everything and filled my water tank, and now have nearly everything put away.

The weather has been beautiful, today it is overcast and drizzly and about 50 degrees. The last few days have found mornings that are foggy and drizzly and afternoons filled with sunshine. The sun is starting to set earlier and is dusky by about 11:30. It's nice having longer hours of daylight again. Salmon berries are thick this year, many people have been picking, and the blueberry season is just starting. Someone I know recently sold a 5 gal. pail of salmon berries for $300.

Today all second year teachers will fly into Bethel and we will have two days of inservice in Bethel next week we have two days of video inservice here in Tunt. and two work days before school starts.

Airfare to and from Tunt to Bethel has jumped a bit and is $50 one way or $90 round trip, about the same as it was last year when we arrived in the village.

Will write more later. :)

The new house

2006-05-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our new house (we've lived here since November) Some of you have asked to see not just the outside but also the inside...pictures are of the kitchen, living room, bathroom and my bedroom, they should give an idea of what the house looks like. :)

Sunrises

2006-02-14T17:53:00.000-09:00

We have a beautiful view out of our windows of the sunrises and the sunset.

Adventures :)

2006-02-05T10:28:00.000-09:00

This morning I woke up feeling wonderful, more rested than I felt all of last week. I think Saturday school really threw off our schedule.

I had a bad case of crabbies for a few days last week....needless to say, I shared them with friends. Everyone seems to be good natured on this beautiful sunny Sunday though. Last night Kat and I had people over for games, it was very refreshing. We had people over for snacks and played taboo and chit chatted.

This weekend found us in a flurry of basketball events, we had two visiting teams fly in during blizzard like conditions on Friday. The teams played three games on Friday night and three games yesterday. The Jr. high games were a lot of fun to watch and they did awesome, they are very intense players. Our high school girls also did great....I never have been so enthused with basketball games, in fact when I was in high school I really dislike high school girls basketball. Last night the teams were all stranded here, due to bad weather.

Our sewer was thawed out and pumped out last Wednesday. We discovered yesterday that our pipe leading to our sewer tank is frozen solid (all pipes and tanks are above ground)...so we are still using the bathroom and showering, and washing dishes at the school. It is second nature to us now. :)

My highlight of yesterday was either hi-ya ing our back school door or chocolating Joann. The back door was caught by the wind and is broken so we aren't supposed to use it. However, we needed water (before we knew our sewer was frozen) and so we hauled water and need to use the back door....Kat and I couldn't get it shut so we had to jump and kick (hi-ya) we got the door shut and got a case of the giggles in the process...all bystanders wondered what in the world we were doing. Now chocolating Joann....we were making a brownie pizza to share with staff who game over for games, and we were going to drizzle chocolate over the top but the first batch didn't quite melt the way it was supposed to. I walked over and plopped the chocolate on Joann's head, it was amusing and we got Joann and other students to smile and laugh.

Last night around seven we had a knock on our door....a little girl had a very bloody nose, another kid punched her and she was crying and bleeding, Kat and I cleaned her up and shared a cookie with her, she left 20 min. later with a smile on her face.
This morning around 9:30 one of the highschool girls called to share a prayer request with me. It is just amazing to see the situations we find ourselves in and the situations all around us. We never know what to expect and we really are blessed to have what we have.

Please keep our kids in your thoughts and prayers...there are so many hurting kids.

Tundra life

2006-01-29T15:54:00.000-09:00

Well,
We had our Saturday school yesterday, it turned out to be a pretty good. Out high school girls basketball team had games here this weekend. Two visiting teams flew in on Friday afternoon and they played three games friday afternoon/evening and three games yesterday.

The weather is still chilly but MUCH warmer. Today is pretty nice with the temperature being about -18 and a windchill of about -25. Last Sunday was crazy, all the pipes in the school froze so our site administrator and maintanance man spent all day working on the frozen pipes. There were three houses in teacher housing that had no water. Kat and I were very blessed that we had water and had plenty to share with some of the other staff.
On thursday our house was a little chilly the furnace wasn't working properly, I guess there was some leak, the site administrator came and checked things out, and they got the heat working. When Mark (our maintanance man) came to look at the furnace he discovered a leak with our hot water heater and turned off the hot water--no big deal, we can live with out hot water for awhile. On Friday night our principal, called and said our sewer system was frozen....so we cannot use our water. It is great that we live so close to the school so we can just dart over there to use the bathroom and shower.

Last night, we came home exhausted...it was a long week (six days of teaching is too much :) ) We had a messy house, and we started playing baseball with balls of tin foil, and paper. Kat decided to start flinging things, using a spoon as a slingshot, she picked up a little ziplock bag of flour and was going to fling but decided not to. I dared her to fling it, and to make a long story short, we had a flour fight that entertained us through a power outage and for about an hour. :)

This week will be our first week back in the regular routine since before Christmas, and as Kat says "it won't be as long, we only have to work 5 days". Days are getting noticably longer, this morning, I saw a sunrise around 10, and it is still bright daylight right now at 4:00.

I will update again later this week, and add some more pictures. Have a great week. :)

Saturday School

2006-01-21T09:48:00.000-09:00

Well..you know you are in the Alaska bush when.....you have Saturday school...you know you are in the bush when Saturday school is cancelled.

Last week Monday (our first day back after Christmas/Slaviq break) school was cancelled, due to the Volcano planes were delayed/cancelled from making flights in and out of Anchorage. Our teachers were stuck...then they got to Bethel and were stuck because of snowy weather. So 8 of our 10 certified staff were not here for school last monday, and the principal said we would have saturday school. This morning Kat and I were getting ready to leave for school when the phone rang. Our principal was calling to say that Saturday school was cancelled due to the cold and we will make up the day next saturday. So to make a long story short...you know you are in the Alaskan bush when Saturday school is cancelled.

Kat and I thought about flying out to Bethel for the day, to do some shopping and some other business however not all planes are flying due to cold weather, and we didn't want to get stuck. The Kuskokwim 300 (300 mile dog sled race) is also scheduled to begin today in Bethel, and it would have been exciting to see that.

Not much else is new here, it has been very cold. When I checked the weather earlier this morning it was -20 degrees F. and -56 with the windchill. It should warm up a little bit next week. It was good to be back in the routine of school, and the kids were all ready to be back, even if they weren't all ready to learn.

Will write more later, have a wonderful day :)

Feast/throwing party

2005-12-03T08:52:00.000-09:00

These pictures were taken at a fest this feast was to commemorate Josh and Melissa's wedding. Throwing party's can be done for weddings, new baby's or birthdays.

The first picture shows part of the counter that was laiden with food. The counter was full, there was food on the table and many many pots of food on the floor. some of the foods served included: ham, swan, fish strips, salmon, moose, caribou, lasagna, spaghetti, wedding cake, jello, bars, flat bread. Next is a picture of the people waiting outside to get in to eat. The line is very long--the entire community was invited. Inside the house, one long table is set up and people sit down at the table as soon as a person is done eating they move and another person sits down. It took about 2 hours for everyone to eat at this feast.

Kids entertain themselves while waiting for the throwing party to start.

A throwing party is traditionally just women and children, this was called a gussack throwing party and men were also included.

Berry Picking

2005-10-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to go berry picking with some other teachers a few weeks ago. We went downriver a little ways. I learned that there are moss berries and green berries. Moss berries just lay kind of on the top of the ground while the green berries are still on the plants and are usually in clusters. When picking green berries, the berry picking goes faster as you can pick by the handful. There are different seasons for picking the berries. We picked primarily cranberries but found a few blackberries and some blueberries. It was interesting because everywhere we walked there were berries just laying on the ground.

These pictures should help give a little bit of a visual about what the tundra looks like. It is very spongy to walk on and is mossy. I have some tundra moss that I picked up and have dried. I wish once again that I could capture just a tiny bit of the atmosphere here to share with all of you. The rainbow pictures were taken in the pouring rain on our boatride home from berry picking. We have seen numerous rainbows, and the other night thought we caught a glimpse of the norhtern lights.

ROCKY

2005-10-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

Flakes Rocky's Mom

Rocky--what a cute puppy :)

The two brothers :) Rocky and Koda (Nick and Dana's dog)

Kat holding Rocky before we got him

This is Tiger--Rocky's Dad

Friends

2005-09-27T22:26:00.000-08:00

Ryan, Dana, Katy, Kat

The school from our porch

Ryan, Nick, Dana, Katy, Kat in our house

2005-09-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

Well life in Alaska, continues to be great. Today I was to head to Bethel for a Sp. Ed. inservice but bush planes aren't flying due to weather. Hmmm...what have I done since I last wrote...

Last weekend we went out in the boat with some other teachers and went upriver where we berry picked on the tundra. We picked cranberries and blackberries. I learned a difference between green berries and moss berries. Moss berries, are already laying on the mossy tundra and the green berries are in clumps, which makes for a lot easier picking. We got poured on and the ride back upriver was a bit chilly. It was soooo much fun and a great opportunity to get out of the village.

We have had a lot of rainy days, though this week we had two sunny days. Today is rainy and very windy, i guess gusts up to 65 mph. were forcasted. Last week there was flooding and some of the kids couldn't get to school. A lot of the boardwalks broke or fell off stilts. The rain is nice as it keeps our water tank full. :) Our water tank holds 681 gallons of water, it disappears quickly without rain. The rain water is much nicer to use than the water from the school, which has arsenic in it. All water must be distilled before using in the kitchen.

Yesterday, for my birthday Katy and Dana made a huge sign to hang up in my classroom and it was very cute, they also made me a potato supper..many varieties of potatoes, it was a lot of fun and very thoughtful of them.

The new houses are progressing, it is very exciting to walk through and tour them. They have painted, have carpet in and have linoleum in. There is a glitch in the cabinets but they are shooting to be done by Oct. 13th.
It'll be weird not to live with Nick and Dana anymore. They are great roommates and a huge blessing.

Nick, Dana, Ryan, Katy and I continue to have church at Ryan and Katy's on Sunday mornings, it is nice to have multiple people who are on the same page. :)

Kids are great and staff is wonderful, can't think of much else for now.

Will write more soon.

The pictures that are currently shown on this site are of boardwalks in Bethel (taken at 10:30 p.m. in Aug). Our Incinolet toilet...this toilet burns the waste. My school is pictured and the house we are currently living in is posted. I will try to add more pictures soon.