It's been a long time since I've been a faithful blogger, and nothing has changed.
Well, everything has changed, and that's the reason for the current long silence.
On April 12, 2013, I lost a sister-of-the-heart, a friend, a buddy and a neighbor. It's left a big hole in my soul. Penny passed away after a long, long year of misery and pain. It wasn't expected, not by a long shot. I'm relieved she's out of pain and back in the arms of her husband, Larry.
We spent a lot of time together, more so over the past year when she became so immobilized. We spent many evenings on the back deck doing dinner, wine and Margaritas. We watched DWTS together. We hung out, and so did our "kids."
I miss her so much. Every time I look "down the hill" at the little white house with red trim and see a light on, I think, "she's home." Then I remember. She's home, all right. Just not where I can see her.
As a result of her passing, I now have three new family members. Katie, Kasey and Sombra came to live with me last Saturday, a week ago today, when Penny's house was closed up for the interim. I knew if this ever happened that I would be getting Kasey and Sombra. Katie was an unexpected but much loved and much wanted bonus.
Those in the know think it's because Katie comes with a trust fund. Not.
Katie reminds me--always has--of my dearly loved, departed, Goldie. I fell in love from the first moment I met Kate, many years ago. She has Goldie's love of grub, Goldie's mellow personality and is just an all-around great dog. I had to negotiate for her, and I'm pleased to say, I "won."
Sombra means "shadow" in Spanish, and she's as black as night and just as feisty. She came complete with a hole in her cat suit, which means she and I have done battle from day one with her wanting to go outside and me telling her she can't. Not yet. So far she's thumbed her nose at me twice, but I've gotten her back none the worse for wear.
Kasey is a story unto himself. I got him because just about everyone else is afraid of him, and I got the short straw. He's been known as the ADHD/ADD dog and the Energizer Bunny on Steroids. He's also an escape artist. When he stayed with me before, he escaped--from my fenced yard.
I wasn't ready for Kasey, but I got him anyway.
I've fallen in love with Kasey.
Following the advice of our local dog trainer, I've managed to calm him down a lot. He's still got quite the personality, but he's actually a pleasure to be around. He's also Foxy's best friend. Foxy has never been known for her good taste.
All of us are settling into a routine that seems to be working for us. Unfortunately it involves getting up at 5 am on work days (as opposed to 5:30--not a big deal).
Oops, gotta go. Time to haul Kasey's little butt back into the house from his tether out in the back yard.
Penny, your guys are doing well. I miss you so much.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Life in Alaska
I can't even remember when my fascination with Alaska began. Maybe it was about the time, at 12 years old, that I decided my life's ambition was to be a hermit.
Yes, really.
In my mind's eye I can still see those photos I created of life on an isolated sea coast. That was before I discovered MOUNTAINS. Big Bear. Lake Arrowhead. Idyllwild. Everytime I visited one of those places, I felt my heart melt, my muscles relax, my mind ease. Way back when, I knew that my future had to involve MOUNTAINS.
I read about high places, and I dreamed. Everest. Nepal. The Himalayas. K2. Annapurna. And Alaska.
Watching Northern Exposure whetted my appetite. How I wish those television episodes were still available for viewing now that I've seen the region for myself.
***
The above was the beginning of a very long introspective blogpost which was supposed to focus on the folks who spoke on Life in Alaska during our Road Scholar program.
You're lucky I changed my mind, deleted the rest of what I'd written and cut out the retrospective.
Suffice it to say that we were blessed to have the company of Bill and May Smith, who accompanied us every step of the way during our adventure.
May is a lifelong Alaskan, originally from Unalakleet, a native village on Norton Sound. If you, like me, ever watch Flying Wild Alaska, you've heard of it. It's the home of the Twetos. And the Twetos just happen to be May's relatives. Just a little name-dropping here.
Bill is an Outsider, but he's been in Alaska so long he might as well be Alaska-born.
They now live in a smallish town just to the north of Anchorage, where May taught for many years until her recent retirement.
During our program, we had the opportunity to ask Bill and May what it was like to live in Alaska, and they regaled us with stories of their lives here. If we had questions, they answered them, probably ad nauseum to them. They shared samples of homemade smoked salmon with us and showed photos of their getaway on the Kenai peninsula where they go to fish each year.
As I listened to the Alaskans tell us about their life in the Great Land, I thought about my earlier desires to move there, obviously unrealized. If I'd been younger, if I hadn't just bought a house, if I didn't have the blessing of living close enough to my daughters, son-in-law and grandson to see them often, I knew I could have lived, no, thrived, in Alaska. The move is not to be.
As if I needed any reminders, Bill and May (as well as Kimber and Mollie) brought home the connection group leaders make between Road Scholar participants and the program's management. They truly are the glue that holds each program together. They provide the backbone and the framework to the program and keep everything moving smoothly. They are the ones who make programs look like they run like clockwork.
In particular Bill and May went out of their way to provide support and very practical assistance to just about every member of our group. On the last day of our program, they offered us a great adventure that perfectly capped off our time together in Anchorage.
Yes, you'll have to wait to hear about it.
Yes, really.
In my mind's eye I can still see those photos I created of life on an isolated sea coast. That was before I discovered MOUNTAINS. Big Bear. Lake Arrowhead. Idyllwild. Everytime I visited one of those places, I felt my heart melt, my muscles relax, my mind ease. Way back when, I knew that my future had to involve MOUNTAINS.
I read about high places, and I dreamed. Everest. Nepal. The Himalayas. K2. Annapurna. And Alaska.
Watching Northern Exposure whetted my appetite. How I wish those television episodes were still available for viewing now that I've seen the region for myself.
***
The above was the beginning of a very long introspective blogpost which was supposed to focus on the folks who spoke on Life in Alaska during our Road Scholar program.
You're lucky I changed my mind, deleted the rest of what I'd written and cut out the retrospective.
Suffice it to say that we were blessed to have the company of Bill and May Smith, who accompanied us every step of the way during our adventure.
May is a lifelong Alaskan, originally from Unalakleet, a native village on Norton Sound. If you, like me, ever watch Flying Wild Alaska, you've heard of it. It's the home of the Twetos. And the Twetos just happen to be May's relatives. Just a little name-dropping here.
Bill is an Outsider, but he's been in Alaska so long he might as well be Alaska-born.
They now live in a smallish town just to the north of Anchorage, where May taught for many years until her recent retirement.
During our program, we had the opportunity to ask Bill and May what it was like to live in Alaska, and they regaled us with stories of their lives here. If we had questions, they answered them, probably ad nauseum to them. They shared samples of homemade smoked salmon with us and showed photos of their getaway on the Kenai peninsula where they go to fish each year.
As I listened to the Alaskans tell us about their life in the Great Land, I thought about my earlier desires to move there, obviously unrealized. If I'd been younger, if I hadn't just bought a house, if I didn't have the blessing of living close enough to my daughters, son-in-law and grandson to see them often, I knew I could have lived, no, thrived, in Alaska. The move is not to be.
As if I needed any reminders, Bill and May (as well as Kimber and Mollie) brought home the connection group leaders make between Road Scholar participants and the program's management. They truly are the glue that holds each program together. They provide the backbone and the framework to the program and keep everything moving smoothly. They are the ones who make programs look like they run like clockwork.
In particular Bill and May went out of their way to provide support and very practical assistance to just about every member of our group. On the last day of our program, they offered us a great adventure that perfectly capped off our time together in Anchorage.
Yes, you'll have to wait to hear about it.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
In the Interim
Unpacked - check
Stowed suitcases and that bloody backpack - check
Completed work project - check
Prepared and filed taxes - check
Cleaned house - check (well, sort of)
Laundry - done
Ironing - almost done
Blogpost written - next on the list
It's hard to believe I'll have been back from Alaska a month on April 13. Where has the time gone?
I came back to learn about some family health problems that surfaced before my departure--but my children sweetly made sure not to mention a word of it until I was safely home, knowing there was nothing I could do but worry. My daughter had called me in the middle of my trip, having misread the note I left for her detailing my travel plans. When she discovered I wasn't due home for another week, she immediately wished me a safe journey and hung up. It struck me as a little odd at the time, but since we're not big on phones in my family, I didn't worry about it.
When Farida finally told me what she and her husband had been dealing with, I was really thankful I hadn't known. I also realized why Farida had hung up so quickly before she gave any hint of what she and Jason had been facing.
Four weeks later, the problems still exist. They seem to be improving, but there's a long way to go before they're solved. I've learned more than I'd ever wished about our healthcare system, ticks, lyme disease and how serious a bite from that tiny six-legged critter can be. I've also learned that there's a huge debate going on about whether chronic lyme disease really exists, what it masquerades as and the enormous debate amongst heathcare professionals about how to treat the symptoms that manifest. It's really scary stuff, and if you want to know more about it, the film Under Our Skin, available on both Netflix and Amazon, is a real eyeopener. Be prepared to be shocked.
Despite all those issues faced by my son-in-law, he and Farida have now just about finished laying the laminate flooring in my house, and it looks just beautiful.
I'm finally in a place that I can get back to chronicling the Alaska journey.
Next up: An Inside Look at Life in Alaska
Stowed suitcases and that bloody backpack - check
Completed work project - check
Prepared and filed taxes - check
Cleaned house - check (well, sort of)
Laundry - done
Ironing - almost done
Blogpost written - next on the list
It's hard to believe I'll have been back from Alaska a month on April 13. Where has the time gone?
I came back to learn about some family health problems that surfaced before my departure--but my children sweetly made sure not to mention a word of it until I was safely home, knowing there was nothing I could do but worry. My daughter had called me in the middle of my trip, having misread the note I left for her detailing my travel plans. When she discovered I wasn't due home for another week, she immediately wished me a safe journey and hung up. It struck me as a little odd at the time, but since we're not big on phones in my family, I didn't worry about it.
When Farida finally told me what she and her husband had been dealing with, I was really thankful I hadn't known. I also realized why Farida had hung up so quickly before she gave any hint of what she and Jason had been facing.
Four weeks later, the problems still exist. They seem to be improving, but there's a long way to go before they're solved. I've learned more than I'd ever wished about our healthcare system, ticks, lyme disease and how serious a bite from that tiny six-legged critter can be. I've also learned that there's a huge debate going on about whether chronic lyme disease really exists, what it masquerades as and the enormous debate amongst heathcare professionals about how to treat the symptoms that manifest. It's really scary stuff, and if you want to know more about it, the film Under Our Skin, available on both Netflix and Amazon, is a real eyeopener. Be prepared to be shocked.
Despite all those issues faced by my son-in-law, he and Farida have now just about finished laying the laminate flooring in my house, and it looks just beautiful.
I'm finally in a place that I can get back to chronicling the Alaska journey.
Next up: An Inside Look at Life in Alaska
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