*flowers from your honey
*DQ cake with friends (never too old for DQ ice cream cake)
*an Alpaca
*your former, bestest roommate!
Here's to a big, exciting New Year!*Amy
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Time for Wrinkle Cream?
Turning 30 is easy when you're surrounded by:
Here's to a big, exciting New Year!
Here's to a big, exciting New Year!
Monday, June 28, 2010
A King's Dinner
In Kodiak I bought Alaska King Crab for $6/pound. Yes, I'm bragging. Half the cost was given to the Kodiak Boosters Club, so I was donating locally too! My co-worker and I took two each and placed them--alive--in heavy duty trash bags, then packed in a box. Checked them as luggage that day and by night I unveiled--the still alive--catch to Andy.
He worked quickly (before his Friday night shift) to kill, clean and cook our dinner fit for a king. What's on your plate?
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Betcha Never
In early June I went to Kodiak for work's second Rural Providers' Conference there. It's so much easier to do something a second time around! The Youth Track I organized with a group of youth was a lot of fun, and a lot of learning too. We had 30 youth from around the state participate during the week, but with 3 afternoons to ourselves. I also helped host 10 youth and their chaperones from my program. The group really bonded, which made the entire experience so cool! Again, I learned lots last year that I think paid off for structure, content and preparation.
These teens from villages across the state just loved going to a new place. It was "beast," one of them said. Oh, those kids and their lingo! Here's my group of teens:
Their favorite session for the Youth Track was an instructional lesson with the Kodiak Island Drummers. All of them wish this group of phenomenal kid drummers would go teach at their community. They made a lot of good noise in the sunshine!
One of my favorite moments of the week was when I asked them to play "Betcha Never." Good little game to get to know each other better. One of my quiet youth leaders said on his turn, "Betcha Never shot and killed two black bears in one month." Needless to say he wowed the group. Later, while we were all walking back from a hike, I asked him more about it. This is a 12-year old away from home who barely spoke. At the invitation to talk about his life outdoors and hunting, he couldn't stop talking about the unexpected bear hunts he did in May. I asked if he kept the hide. He looked confused and said he didn't know but that he did keep the claws. With a smile he said, "I have some in my pockets!" OH, okay! "Do you want one?" With that I was gifted a bear claw with some black hair still attached. I carried the claw in my pocket all week.
It didn't hurt that the weather was GREAT all week (except on that Friday when my co-worker and I were hailed on while buying crab out of a boat).
These teens from villages across the state just loved going to a new place. It was "beast," one of them said. Oh, those kids and their lingo! Here's my group of teens:
Their favorite session for the Youth Track was an instructional lesson with the Kodiak Island Drummers. All of them wish this group of phenomenal kid drummers would go teach at their community. They made a lot of good noise in the sunshine!
One of my favorite moments of the week was when I asked them to play "Betcha Never." Good little game to get to know each other better. One of my quiet youth leaders said on his turn, "Betcha Never shot and killed two black bears in one month." Needless to say he wowed the group. Later, while we were all walking back from a hike, I asked him more about it. This is a 12-year old away from home who barely spoke. At the invitation to talk about his life outdoors and hunting, he couldn't stop talking about the unexpected bear hunts he did in May. I asked if he kept the hide. He looked confused and said he didn't know but that he did keep the claws. With a smile he said, "I have some in my pockets!" OH, okay! "Do you want one?" With that I was gifted a bear claw with some black hair still attached. I carried the claw in my pocket all week. Betcha never.
*Amy
Friday, June 18, 2010
Great Gift
The weekend before Memorial Day we enjoyed a great gift--a visit from former Alaska friends Melissa and Brandon! The Viators used to live right by our little house but had to move on before Amy left Nome. Melissa is deploying to the Middle East for the second time, but she's joining Brandon who has already been serving in Afghanistan. While on leave, they used precious time together for a trip back to AK. We had their company for a long weekend and on top of that they really spoiled us: a halibut fishing charter in Seward as a wedding gift! As much as we liked the gift, we enjoyed much more the time spent with our friends. We secretly hope for a permanent return to Alaska. Highlights from the excellent weather day in Seward, and some peaks at what's in our freezer.
It took hours before we got some solid halibut catches so we drummed up the Rock Fish for interim excitement. But there are other creatures from the sea that also excite. Melissa's muscles really worked this throw-back, much to our amusement!
The Skate is apparently unwanted and common. It's NOT what you want to bring up twice, like she did!
Here's our boat's halibut payload. The biggest catch in the middle was one of Andy's fish. He's kind of a catch too.
Wheelbarrow full of yummy rock fish. We hit up a school in the open waters.
All in all, the time in Seward exhausted and completed us.
We think of our friends and this special trip as we thaw out an occasional fillet. We still need to try smoking halibut to create an ocean-themed Care Package for the desert.
We miss you, Viators-come home safe!
*Andy and Amy
It took hours before we got some solid halibut catches so we drummed up the Rock Fish for interim excitement. But there are other creatures from the sea that also excite. Melissa's muscles really worked this throw-back, much to our amusement!The Skate is apparently unwanted and common. It's NOT what you want to bring up twice, like she did!
Here's our boat's halibut payload. The biggest catch in the middle was one of Andy's fish. He's kind of a catch too.
Wheelbarrow full of yummy rock fish. We hit up a school in the open waters.
All in all, the time in Seward exhausted and completed us.
We think of our friends and this special trip as we thaw out an occasional fillet. We still need to try smoking halibut to create an ocean-themed Care Package for the desert.We miss you, Viators-come home safe!
*Andy and Amy
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