While studying really, really hard.......

While feeling pretty snug about my all Alaskan grown dinner tonight I stumbled upon a cool article in The Daily Beast. The last few mornings I read the laptop news and Seth still struggles through the Daily Snooze. We tried to one up each other, did ADN mention Pago Pago? He can topple me with local news though. Tonight while trying to read real news a good article was found, stories of women who inspired famous songs, you listen to the song and read about short marriages, transsexuals, and Kennedy children who inspired the Beatles, Bowie, Clapton, the Kinks even newer bands, it's not about the crisis in Sumatra but after a long day it slides down just right with odd meatloaf and over cooked brussel sprouts.

I will never think of Sweet Caroline the same, really? He wrote the song about an 11 year old girl in a magazine, just listen to it again than shutter.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-09-29/the-muses-behind-the-music/#gallery=772;page=8;item=

Should've checked it out earlier

Well tonight Seth and I found time to check out Alaska Dispatch and it was well worth it. Aunt Bonnie told me about it several times so now I am hooked, all the old writers from Anchorage Daily Drivel but with color pictures! Seth Kanters latest story about Caribou hunting is eye opening. For for those of you (who you are I never am quite sure) who haven't heard of him, Seth lives above Kotezebu with only a 12 volt battery, their house is insulated with tundra moss. I think we sent you his first book, "Ordinary Wolfs" Melissa and Gail.

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/features/outdoors/2067-hunting-caribou

Cozy and smug

I know that fire places are not that interesting but once you start to look for the right one realize there are a lot out there. Instead of tiling which we have been thinking of forever, Seth drew up the specs for a metal surround. Three weeks later we carried it in and ta da, done. It should be screwed on eventually but gosh boy, it looks just fine.

With the first snow sticking to the mountains and frosts setting in the fire place will really start to come in handy. The power bill is now 1/2 what is used to be, the remodel was worth it and now we burn the old wood from the living room to heat the house, huh, I am feeling very smug. Even smugger still that Seth loves his job, I am still loving mine and Mom is coming to visit in a week.

Above is a not flattering picture of the metal fireplace surround and Emily and Brandon bonding.
Hello to Emily, our reader in France! oh my. It is Fire Island bakery your mom likes Emily, I do too. Dad thinks it's too spendy but with the location, natural and when you can local ingredients, hard to beet. I love their peanut butter cookie sandwich with peanut butter ganache, I don't even like peanut butter, ah!! Seth just got home from work, he reports Fire Island sandwiches are $10.00 sandwiches, at Cafe Amsterdam they are 12.00 and not organic.

Swine Flue or H1N1 as I like to call it has hit Anchorage Schools. At least 5 to 6 students out in each class, up to 11 at my other school. No less than 3 teachers out each day, and soon it is going to be me. Feeling terrible and teaching 28 3rd graders how to paint is like a special kind of hellish headache you can't shake, luckily when your head feels like it is in a bubble you can hardly hear the kids.

view from the window

One might feel that this picture would explain why you would want to lay on our couch after a long day of work.

beautiful sunny day

Friday was sunny, met with friends at a great birthday party.
Saturday morning when the alarm didn't go off on time at 6 am, not so pleasant. Dropped Seth and Pat at the airport, had a cup of coffee at a favorite coffee shop while waiting for my next meeting and wondered why it was all men in there at 7 am?

Kincaid Elementary fun run was beautiful and sunny, watching the small children either cry or laugh all the way around the course was great times. Hit up the farmers market than mowed the lawn and cleaned-up vegetable beds, it was sunny enough to take off the jacket, where are we living anyways? So nice. Met the fam for dinner and than all the women to Lion King, so cool! Amazing costumes, they just kept coming on with new ones!

Early Sunday morning to the blood bank to be brooded over, what to do with small veins, just stick her harder seemed to be the answer.

Now to make jam and meet Ash and Caroline at Pho Lena, ah looking back on this dribble it was a great weekend, it is always a great weekend when you have loving friends and family.

I am thinking of Halloween costumes for Melissa now as well. You know how there is often a spike of hair standing on top of Seth's head? Even in the swimming pool? I suggested he be Pervert Herman, at first maybe he was offended than started to practice his laugh and walk.

This is it.

Bringing home the beef

Well, today I left school at 3:20 and drove to Palmer, finally found the butchers and picked up 9 boxes of beef formally known as April. Than I called everyone who helped with her and worked for her and now they will come pick pieces of her up and take her home and eat.

As one might guess the butchers was a real salt of the earth kind of place. The building is surrounded by barbed wire and advertises that criminals work there but just drive on through, a man in a very dirty McCain hat will great you and tell you how much he likes to talk politics with your Grandfather. When the car is weighted down until you are worried to drive home, head to Grandma and Grandpa's shop buy a really expensive Le Crusit Dutch oven to cook all that beef in and head home. Hopefully Uncle Bob wants that hide in my trunk, the dirty dude with the pony tail gently let me know "it will start stink'n here real soon. "

if they could talk

If the cat could talk she would say "Thank you Melissa for my couch rug." She doesn't talk so I say it for her, keep the couch less black looking.

If the birds did more than squawk they would tell Hendrick, "WE MISS YOU SUCKER! COME BACK AND FEED US PRODUCE, THESE PEOPLE THINK CHICKWEED IS A TREAT, HELP US!"

Farmer's Market Haul

Floating the Chalitna

This Labor Day weekend Seth and I took in the First Friday art walk around downtown than woke at 4 am to drive to the Chalitna River and float for three days.
First Friday was a good time, met about everyone I know in Anchorage and checked out the new museum, how can there be a new addition and yet everyone is still crammed into a tiny room up three flights of stairs? It is easy to be a critic I spose.

Weather for the float trip was perfect, views of Denali, hungry silvers and only sign of bears being their tracks made for ideal conditions. Lots of good food and ginger beer with Whiskey made it relaxing. When we floated into Talkeetna at the end of the trip a giant jet boat full of tourists stopped to take our picture and say hi, welcome back to civilization. The shuttle car in Talkeetna was locked with no keys so Seth and I hitched for three hours to pick up the raft trailer than returned to Talkeetna packed up and tried to find something to eat, not much luck, wish our float mates had saved us some pizza while they waited on the sunny beach for us! A three hour drive back to Anchorage made for a long night and a longer Tuesday back at work.

Now on a rainy Saturday Seth is running Crow Pass (24 miles) with Pat and Caroline for a little birthday celebration and I am catching up on my relaxing, farmers market and recycling. Tonight fresh carrot soup, roasted peanut potatoes, beets and brussel sprouts with fresh thyme, it is harvest time here in Anchorage and it is hard not to want to scoop everything up when it is in season here. Maybe if I shorten my nap blueberry and rhubarb pie could happen, maybe...........

this time of year in Alaska......

With the start of fall there is so much to do.
Today was Seth's last day at his job, they had a nice going away party now he is blowing up the raft for this weekend's rafting trip.
I have been working on the mural for the rock wall at school, slow going when you are looking at 60 ft. of blank wall.
In a nutshell we have been to the Van Hemert's cabin to say goodbye to Hendrick and Sara, fishing at Willow creek ( I caught a nice big silver) berry picking, floated the Kenai and now rafting the Chulitna over Labor Day.
At night we are pouring over paint samples for the house color, any color but pink seems to be the general decision. Is dark blue too dark for a small house?