So, I met a friend today... at least I HOPE I did. I met a really cool mom at the playground today. We have a lot in common, right down to our hippy roots. Her son introduced us, funny enough. A talkative little guy who basically followed me and Beans around the park insisting that I come meet his mom and sister. And I'm glad I did. Anyone ever read the Anne of Green Gables series? Anne speaks of Diane as her "kindred spirit", someone who knows and understands her thought processes, her mind and heart, someone that she doesn't have to explain herself to, someone that just "gets" her.
That's how I felt today... I didn't have to explain my crazy notions of pioneer living or the lifestyle we've chosen, because they do it too. (I heard all about it from her son first, then asked mom a bunch of curious questions!) And I also felt like someone else was relieved to have made a friend, as we both found someone who didn't think we were "nuts" for just living and loving our lives.
Who knows? Maybe I have found a good friend. I'd like to think so. She's definitely on the "call" list!
Beans and I returned from the playground exhausted, a little sun-kissed, and hungry, but both of us in good spirits. And the advantage of getting Beans around other kids is that she was completely worn out and graced me with an almost 2 hour nap, where I took advantage of the time to surf the web, catch up on email, and even work on one of my sewing projects.
So today's news probably sounds a little "dull", for those of you expecting excitement and drama, but to me, it feels like a comfortable settling-in feeling. We are picking up a new routine, meeting people, and having fun.
Today is the beginning of the summer solstice, so Happy Summer to everyone!
And Patti- if you are reading, happy anniversary (tomarrow)!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Things are Growing
Well, now that the majority of stuff is unpacked (only a few boxes remain, and they can wait), it was a day for some much needed rest. Basically, I turned into "slacker-mom" today, turning on AK Public TV for Beans and lounged around for most of the day, even fitting in a nap when Beans was kind enough to take one of her own.
Things are growing around here. I noticed the raspberry bushes beginning to bloom, and bees busily polinating today. Looks like we should have a pretty decent crop, which means I can do lots of homemade jams for gifts this year. Um, providing I don't screw up the canning, or lose half the crop to moose or bears. There is also an abundance of wild roses blooming all over the property, and that makes me happy. Not that I consider Alabama home (because I don't!), but it does remind me of my old rose garden back in the south, and I DO miss my old garden. It also looks like the wild irises I found a while ago are going to finally put out some blooms. Our neighbors' yards are splotched with beautiful white and yellow daisies. And our own yard is full of dandelions. I also have my "salad bar" (container gardening salad greens, mostly), which is beginning to sprout up and fill the pots.
It is amazing to watch things grow here! With the full sun, things grow big, and they do it quickly. You really CAN watch grass grow here! Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but you CAN look at the garden in the evening, not see anything at all, and the next morning, find a pot full of sprouts, or bushes that were just leaves seem to have sprouted buds AND flowers overnight. It amazes me how the scenery changes so rapidly.
Speaking of scenery changes, my roundtrip to Delta Junction was indeed completely different than the last time. Jarvis Creek and the Tanana River are no longer little trickles of water. Gone is the ice that we passed every week, and swift running water now fills the banks. The trees are in full bloom, and in lots of areas blocks the view of the river now. Little clumps of wildflowers are scattered everywhere. I don't know what they are called, but the "big purple clumps" are my favorite, and I want desperately to stop and collect some to dry.
Other things growing.... Beans, herself! I was thrilled and relieved to find her stash of cloth diapers and was anxious to get her back in them. Little did I know that over the last 6 weeks that we have been without her stuff, Little Beans got fat (yay for breastmilk!). Poor little Beans' fat little legs looked like sausages in thier casings. Good thing I had already ordered the next size up. Almost has me looking forward to her next doctor appointment, when I can see how much my little chunker has grown. And speaking of growing, she is also growing up... she's eating a good three solid food meals a day now, and so close to walking that she can't hardly stand it. She's cruised 'round and 'round the living room, daring to let go (then of course, needing hugs and kisses when she falls down). And... Daddy moved her to her crib in her own room this week. Ok. I miss her terribly (she's been in our room since she was born). But to Daddy's credit, she IS sleeping a little better in there.
They grow SO fast...
So, the summer solstice officially begins tomarrow (according to the guy on the news). I was surprised to hear that there still is an official "sunset" time, but the sun just goes below the horizon for a brief period of time. I think we are at just 2 hours of "sunset" now. I am jealous of the entrants of the Midnight Sun Run, but since it starts at 10 pm, well after Beans' (and my own!) bedtime, we'll have to miss that one.
Heading outside for one last glimpse at the sun and the garden, then off to bed.
P.S.- "Bushy" -the squirrel that lives in our roof, is beginning to get a little too big for her britches. She has started chattering at me when I try to use the front door, and even sounding off warning signals when I am in the yard. I wish I had never promised our landlord that we would continue feeding her. (She promised her kids we would keep Bushy around.) The stupid squirrel lives IN our roof. IN OUR ROOF. I hear the dang thing running around all night and all day, and now she is trying to threaten me for living in my own house. The only benefit I see to keeping her well-fed is Roasted Squirrel with Butternut Squash when she's good and fat.
Things are growing around here. I noticed the raspberry bushes beginning to bloom, and bees busily polinating today. Looks like we should have a pretty decent crop, which means I can do lots of homemade jams for gifts this year. Um, providing I don't screw up the canning, or lose half the crop to moose or bears. There is also an abundance of wild roses blooming all over the property, and that makes me happy. Not that I consider Alabama home (because I don't!), but it does remind me of my old rose garden back in the south, and I DO miss my old garden. It also looks like the wild irises I found a while ago are going to finally put out some blooms. Our neighbors' yards are splotched with beautiful white and yellow daisies. And our own yard is full of dandelions. I also have my "salad bar" (container gardening salad greens, mostly), which is beginning to sprout up and fill the pots.
It is amazing to watch things grow here! With the full sun, things grow big, and they do it quickly. You really CAN watch grass grow here! Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but you CAN look at the garden in the evening, not see anything at all, and the next morning, find a pot full of sprouts, or bushes that were just leaves seem to have sprouted buds AND flowers overnight. It amazes me how the scenery changes so rapidly.
Speaking of scenery changes, my roundtrip to Delta Junction was indeed completely different than the last time. Jarvis Creek and the Tanana River are no longer little trickles of water. Gone is the ice that we passed every week, and swift running water now fills the banks. The trees are in full bloom, and in lots of areas blocks the view of the river now. Little clumps of wildflowers are scattered everywhere. I don't know what they are called, but the "big purple clumps" are my favorite, and I want desperately to stop and collect some to dry.
Other things growing.... Beans, herself! I was thrilled and relieved to find her stash of cloth diapers and was anxious to get her back in them. Little did I know that over the last 6 weeks that we have been without her stuff, Little Beans got fat (yay for breastmilk!). Poor little Beans' fat little legs looked like sausages in thier casings. Good thing I had already ordered the next size up. Almost has me looking forward to her next doctor appointment, when I can see how much my little chunker has grown. And speaking of growing, she is also growing up... she's eating a good three solid food meals a day now, and so close to walking that she can't hardly stand it. She's cruised 'round and 'round the living room, daring to let go (then of course, needing hugs and kisses when she falls down). And... Daddy moved her to her crib in her own room this week. Ok. I miss her terribly (she's been in our room since she was born). But to Daddy's credit, she IS sleeping a little better in there.
They grow SO fast...
So, the summer solstice officially begins tomarrow (according to the guy on the news). I was surprised to hear that there still is an official "sunset" time, but the sun just goes below the horizon for a brief period of time. I think we are at just 2 hours of "sunset" now. I am jealous of the entrants of the Midnight Sun Run, but since it starts at 10 pm, well after Beans' (and my own!) bedtime, we'll have to miss that one.
Heading outside for one last glimpse at the sun and the garden, then off to bed.
P.S.- "Bushy" -the squirrel that lives in our roof, is beginning to get a little too big for her britches. She has started chattering at me when I try to use the front door, and even sounding off warning signals when I am in the yard. I wish I had never promised our landlord that we would continue feeding her. (She promised her kids we would keep Bushy around.) The stupid squirrel lives IN our roof. IN OUR ROOF. I hear the dang thing running around all night and all day, and now she is trying to threaten me for living in my own house. The only benefit I see to keeping her well-fed is Roasted Squirrel with Butternut Squash when she's good and fat.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
No Moose?
Well, that was a first. Not a single moose on my drive to Ft Greely today. I even brought the camera, and was double bummed when there was too much cloud cover to get a good shot of the mountains today.
Ah, well... not like I don't have plenty of time to take some good pics, eh?
So, the previous weekend was full of discovering how, um... NOT careful the movers were with our worldly possessions. A lot of broken stuff. The good news: only a handful of "priceless" items were damaged, and while it's sad, we'll live, and find new priceless possessions, I'm sure.
Hubby has been doing lots of mandatory overtime this week. After a one day, two night stint at home, he was back to work, leaving Beans and I to our own devices.
I have to say, this is kind of a blessing in disguise. Don't get me wrong, I miss his company, but I am also discovering how tough I can be. I have singlehandedly (seriously, since my other arm was holding Beans, who refuses to be set down this week), moved furniture that no woman of my small frame should be able to move. Kind of reminded me of my old paramedic days, when the strong, buff firefighters would come rushing to my aide to life a 300 lb patient on the stretcher and I'd blow them off, proving my "worth" as a Woman in the Field. (Of course, I probably secretly gave myself a half dozen hernias trying to prove my, ahem, "manhood" out there, but I earned my place out there, too!)
Ah, I digress...
In the desperate need to restore some order to my home, I moved furniture and boxes, made several trips to the dump, and "got 'er dun", as us south'ners would say. We finally have some semblance of "HOME" in our house, and that feels good.
In other news:
-Hubby's car was fixed, now it's broken again. Back to the subaru guy to fix it. At least this time, we found out in town, so he didn't have to hitch-hike his way down Richardson Hwy to get to work.
-Madderbeans is maybe going to drive me crazy this week. Poor girl is miserable. Between teeth coming in and being severely attacked by mosquitos (looks like she has chicken pox, only it's mosquito bites, all over her face, hands, arms, and feet... anything that was exposed). Yup, between all that and just plain ol' being onery (she gets that from her daddy, though he'll deny it), I am beginning to doubt my sanity AND my parenting skills. Anyone who knows how to make an 8 month old baby cooperate, sleep, and allow you two minutes to yourself to pee without screaming loud enough to alarm the neighbors, I am officially soliciting advice.
Oh, and I feel like a shmuck for not calling a very nice mommy from the playground who invited me to go to the Midnight Sun Festival with her. It's officially on my list of things to do and people to call tomarrow. Hopefully she hasn't written me off as that "jerk mom" from the playground yet!
What a busy week!
On the agenda after the weekend: trying to pass the Alaska Driver's License test!
Hope everyone is doing well! More next week, when I'm doing more than just trying to keep my head above water!
Ah, well... not like I don't have plenty of time to take some good pics, eh?
So, the previous weekend was full of discovering how, um... NOT careful the movers were with our worldly possessions. A lot of broken stuff. The good news: only a handful of "priceless" items were damaged, and while it's sad, we'll live, and find new priceless possessions, I'm sure.
Hubby has been doing lots of mandatory overtime this week. After a one day, two night stint at home, he was back to work, leaving Beans and I to our own devices.
I have to say, this is kind of a blessing in disguise. Don't get me wrong, I miss his company, but I am also discovering how tough I can be. I have singlehandedly (seriously, since my other arm was holding Beans, who refuses to be set down this week), moved furniture that no woman of my small frame should be able to move. Kind of reminded me of my old paramedic days, when the strong, buff firefighters would come rushing to my aide to life a 300 lb patient on the stretcher and I'd blow them off, proving my "worth" as a Woman in the Field. (Of course, I probably secretly gave myself a half dozen hernias trying to prove my, ahem, "manhood" out there, but I earned my place out there, too!)
Ah, I digress...
In the desperate need to restore some order to my home, I moved furniture and boxes, made several trips to the dump, and "got 'er dun", as us south'ners would say. We finally have some semblance of "HOME" in our house, and that feels good.
In other news:
-Hubby's car was fixed, now it's broken again. Back to the subaru guy to fix it. At least this time, we found out in town, so he didn't have to hitch-hike his way down Richardson Hwy to get to work.
-Madderbeans is maybe going to drive me crazy this week. Poor girl is miserable. Between teeth coming in and being severely attacked by mosquitos (looks like she has chicken pox, only it's mosquito bites, all over her face, hands, arms, and feet... anything that was exposed). Yup, between all that and just plain ol' being onery (she gets that from her daddy, though he'll deny it), I am beginning to doubt my sanity AND my parenting skills. Anyone who knows how to make an 8 month old baby cooperate, sleep, and allow you two minutes to yourself to pee without screaming loud enough to alarm the neighbors, I am officially soliciting advice.
Oh, and I feel like a shmuck for not calling a very nice mommy from the playground who invited me to go to the Midnight Sun Festival with her. It's officially on my list of things to do and people to call tomarrow. Hopefully she hasn't written me off as that "jerk mom" from the playground yet!
What a busy week!
On the agenda after the weekend: trying to pass the Alaska Driver's License test!
Hope everyone is doing well! More next week, when I'm doing more than just trying to keep my head above water!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Hooray for the North Pole Fire Dept
Phew. Well, along with our belongings came loads of packaging material. I caught 7 month old Madderbeans choking this morning and discovered that she was pulling bits of plastic wrap from some of our furniture and trying to eat it. I THOUGHT I had gotten all the pieces out of her mouth at 9 am when she did this. All day loong, she kept behaving like she was chewing on something and I did my finger sweeps like a good mommy and paramedic, but found nothing. Through two naps, several nursings, and a couple meals, this chewing behavior continued, along with a little hacking cough. This evening around 5pm, bothered by this behavior, I checked her mouth again and discovered that she STILL had little bits of saran wraptype plastic in her mouth.
Being a paramedic, I did my best to remain calm and remove the pieces. But being a MOM, I freaked out. We rushed over to the fire station and let another paramedic take a look, and finally managed to clear her mouth of all the plastic she tried to eat today.
Hooray for the fellas down there at the fire station! They didn't treat me like the horribly negligent mommy I felt like, or like the idiot paramedic I felt like, for that matter. And hooray for Beans surviving her first run-in with the rescue squad (and not choking to death on plastic that she managed to keep in her mouth for a full 8 hours).
This seems to be a family milestone of sorts. As of today, all three of my children have officially needed EMS services in one way, shape, or form. Do-Bug needed them when I locked him in the car on a hot summer day, B needed then when he crashed his bike into a tree (being the most serious of all injuries, with a head injury and a trip to Children's hospital in a helicopter), and now little Beans has joined the ranks with her brothers. Sheesh.
What a day.
On the upside, I highly recommend the North Pole Fire Dept. A great group of fellas. I just hope we don't need them again any time soon.
Being a paramedic, I did my best to remain calm and remove the pieces. But being a MOM, I freaked out. We rushed over to the fire station and let another paramedic take a look, and finally managed to clear her mouth of all the plastic she tried to eat today.
Hooray for the fellas down there at the fire station! They didn't treat me like the horribly negligent mommy I felt like, or like the idiot paramedic I felt like, for that matter. And hooray for Beans surviving her first run-in with the rescue squad (and not choking to death on plastic that she managed to keep in her mouth for a full 8 hours).
This seems to be a family milestone of sorts. As of today, all three of my children have officially needed EMS services in one way, shape, or form. Do-Bug needed them when I locked him in the car on a hot summer day, B needed then when he crashed his bike into a tree (being the most serious of all injuries, with a head injury and a trip to Children's hospital in a helicopter), and now little Beans has joined the ranks with her brothers. Sheesh.
What a day.
On the upside, I highly recommend the North Pole Fire Dept. A great group of fellas. I just hope we don't need them again any time soon.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Race Is On
Madderbeans and I participated in a 5K fun run/walk today downtown, called The Mosquito Meander, benefitting the Fairbanks Counceling and Adoption center. We had a blast! The walk started at the gates of Pioneer Park and "meandered" (hahaha) through some of downtown before circling around back to Pioneer Park. Madderbeans had the easy route, chilling out in the stroller while I pushed and walked. I was longing for a nifty jogging stroller, and wished to be among the ranks of the mommies and daddies running with thier little ones instead of walking. Maybe next year.
Meanwhile, I was proud of myself. After spending 5 months of my pregnancy with Beans on bedrest and gaining, um, 65 lbs, it felt good to be down 55 lbs (what I've lost since I gave birth) and out there walking again. Should know my final "race time" in the next day or so, when they post the times on fca.org
The walk was beautiful, the last mile or so wandering by the Chena River, and many of the wildflowers are beginning to bloom. We didn't take time to stop and smell the wild roses (would have slowed our pace), but we did admire them from the path, and we chatted with many of the other walkers on our way.
One side note: I am a little bummed by the attitude of a lot of the military familes here. Seems like the majority of wives I meet really don't like it here. I've heard before that you either love Alaska or you hate it, but it's kind of sad to see the number of wives dissatisfied with thier current duty station. There is so much to do, so much to see, and it's just an amazing opportunity to be here.
It was nice to run (ahem, walk) into a few people who have lived here for several years, people who love it here, and chat with them about the area. Finally, no complaints about the lack of shopping, good restaurants, or "nothing to do"! It was refreshing to talk to some people who find Alaska as wonderful as we do, and to be excited about all the things you CAN do and explore, as well as people who are as ready to MAKE stuff to do when the environment doesn't supply it.
Ah, well... to each his own, eh? Talking to people who are on the "I hate it" side of Alaska only makes me see how much I really love it here. But maybe I'm crazy. (haha)
The race was a fun opportunity to get out and meet some people, most of whom I hope to run into again soon. Meanwhile, it also provided a good break from unpacking our furniture, which finally arrived!
On that note, I can not tell you how much I truly appreciate my big comfy bed again, especially after sleeping on an air mattress for a full month. Or how much I love running out of room in my kitchen for all my fancy gadgets, or how relieved I was to see Madderbean's exersaucer. The exersaucer and Walt Disney make the BEST babysitters, especially when you are unpacking an entire house by yourself because the Fire Station thinks they need your husband more than you do. (That's fine, the overtime check should be beautiful!)
Coming up this week:
-a trip to Delta Junction for the commissary and to stop in at the diner. Can't wait to see the scenery changes and this time, I'll have the camera!
-If I can find the USB cable, pictures should be up this week as well.
-What's springing up in the garden
-Upcoming plans for the Midnight Sun Festival, and how we plan to celebrate the sun not setting at all!
All right, y'all-
Time to go unpack more boxes!
Meanwhile, I was proud of myself. After spending 5 months of my pregnancy with Beans on bedrest and gaining, um, 65 lbs, it felt good to be down 55 lbs (what I've lost since I gave birth) and out there walking again. Should know my final "race time" in the next day or so, when they post the times on fca.org
The walk was beautiful, the last mile or so wandering by the Chena River, and many of the wildflowers are beginning to bloom. We didn't take time to stop and smell the wild roses (would have slowed our pace), but we did admire them from the path, and we chatted with many of the other walkers on our way.
One side note: I am a little bummed by the attitude of a lot of the military familes here. Seems like the majority of wives I meet really don't like it here. I've heard before that you either love Alaska or you hate it, but it's kind of sad to see the number of wives dissatisfied with thier current duty station. There is so much to do, so much to see, and it's just an amazing opportunity to be here.
It was nice to run (ahem, walk) into a few people who have lived here for several years, people who love it here, and chat with them about the area. Finally, no complaints about the lack of shopping, good restaurants, or "nothing to do"! It was refreshing to talk to some people who find Alaska as wonderful as we do, and to be excited about all the things you CAN do and explore, as well as people who are as ready to MAKE stuff to do when the environment doesn't supply it.
Ah, well... to each his own, eh? Talking to people who are on the "I hate it" side of Alaska only makes me see how much I really love it here. But maybe I'm crazy. (haha)
The race was a fun opportunity to get out and meet some people, most of whom I hope to run into again soon. Meanwhile, it also provided a good break from unpacking our furniture, which finally arrived!
On that note, I can not tell you how much I truly appreciate my big comfy bed again, especially after sleeping on an air mattress for a full month. Or how much I love running out of room in my kitchen for all my fancy gadgets, or how relieved I was to see Madderbean's exersaucer. The exersaucer and Walt Disney make the BEST babysitters, especially when you are unpacking an entire house by yourself because the Fire Station thinks they need your husband more than you do. (That's fine, the overtime check should be beautiful!)
Coming up this week:
-a trip to Delta Junction for the commissary and to stop in at the diner. Can't wait to see the scenery changes and this time, I'll have the camera!
-If I can find the USB cable, pictures should be up this week as well.
-What's springing up in the garden
-Upcoming plans for the Midnight Sun Festival, and how we plan to celebrate the sun not setting at all!
All right, y'all-
Time to go unpack more boxes!
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Oil Crisis has gone too far
On our way to town today, I passed a gas station that was advertising:
"Free Mocha Latte with $30 fule purchase"
What is the world coming to? Remember the days when gas was cheap and fancy-pants coffee was expensive? When you had to sign away the blood of your firstborn to mingle amongst the capuccinos at Starbucks? Now it's "free", folks, when you put enough gas in your car to um, get around the block. (At least in our gas guzzling minivan, that's about as far as we would get on $30.)
I remember my senior year of highschool (no, not THAT long ago! It was the early 90s), mom would give me 20 bucks to fill up the car and tell me to bring back the change. I could fill the tank of our '86 Plymouth Reliant, buy a pepsi and sneak a pack of cigarrettes and STILL bring mom her change.
It's funny how rising gas prices are changing the way we, and many others live. We have actually pulled out the old calculator and figured that it costs us $8 to make a roundtrip to Fairbanks in the minivan, and $5.50 in the trusty Subaru. Before you think we have way too much time on our hands, we were trying to see if it was more economical to drive to Fairbanks to fill up on the $4.14 gas, vs the $4.27 gas in North Pole.
Our lives are changing. We are learning to make more things from scratch, give up items of convenience, and go back to the "old" ways of doing things. We haven't turned back to the college days of Ramen Noodles, but we sure are figuring out ways to stretch my husband's really decent salary as far as it can go.
Anyone else wonder if we are heading toward more than recession, into another Depression Era? Maybe not, but I sure am glad to have known my grandparents and great-grandparents who lived through it, long enough to glean some of thier money saving strategies.
IN OTHER NEWS:
-Madderbeans and I will be participating in the weekends fun run/walk, The Mosquito Meander... a 5K around Pioneer Park. I am bringing the camera for that event, so we WILL post pictures, as soon as I can find the USB cable to download photos.
ANY LOCALS- if you can walk or run and have some time to spare, come on down! It's sponsored by the Fairbanks Counseling andadoption Center... a good cause- walkers, cyclers, runners, rollerbladers, strollers, and even 4 legged particiapnts (on leashes) are welcome. $15 gets you in, gets you a neato looking t-shirt, and enters you in a drawing for a mountain bike, along with various other door prizes. An extra 6 smackers even got Madderbeans a scarf to wear (no, I'm not telling her it actually is for the 4 legged participants).
-We finally have word on our furniture! HOORAY! Our household goods are in town and will be delivered on Thursday. I have spent the better part of the day trying to remember how much stuff we have and getting excited over seeing my stash of cloth diapers, Madderbean's toys, and my nice, big, comfy bed again, not to mention the pots and pans, the bread machine, my stash of Charlie's Soap laundry detergent, and various other comforts I've been missing.
-And finally, tomarrow, we make big fire. The landlord is supposed to be securing a burn permit and we are going to set fire to all the debris piles in the yard. My husband (a firefighter) says he knows how to do this. Me, I'm glad we are well insured. LOL
Hope everyone is having good days, wherever you are on the planet!
Happy Moose Trails!
"Free Mocha Latte with $30 fule purchase"
What is the world coming to? Remember the days when gas was cheap and fancy-pants coffee was expensive? When you had to sign away the blood of your firstborn to mingle amongst the capuccinos at Starbucks? Now it's "free", folks, when you put enough gas in your car to um, get around the block. (At least in our gas guzzling minivan, that's about as far as we would get on $30.)
I remember my senior year of highschool (no, not THAT long ago! It was the early 90s), mom would give me 20 bucks to fill up the car and tell me to bring back the change. I could fill the tank of our '86 Plymouth Reliant, buy a pepsi and sneak a pack of cigarrettes and STILL bring mom her change.
It's funny how rising gas prices are changing the way we, and many others live. We have actually pulled out the old calculator and figured that it costs us $8 to make a roundtrip to Fairbanks in the minivan, and $5.50 in the trusty Subaru. Before you think we have way too much time on our hands, we were trying to see if it was more economical to drive to Fairbanks to fill up on the $4.14 gas, vs the $4.27 gas in North Pole.
Our lives are changing. We are learning to make more things from scratch, give up items of convenience, and go back to the "old" ways of doing things. We haven't turned back to the college days of Ramen Noodles, but we sure are figuring out ways to stretch my husband's really decent salary as far as it can go.
Anyone else wonder if we are heading toward more than recession, into another Depression Era? Maybe not, but I sure am glad to have known my grandparents and great-grandparents who lived through it, long enough to glean some of thier money saving strategies.
IN OTHER NEWS:
-Madderbeans and I will be participating in the weekends fun run/walk, The Mosquito Meander... a 5K around Pioneer Park. I am bringing the camera for that event, so we WILL post pictures, as soon as I can find the USB cable to download photos.
ANY LOCALS- if you can walk or run and have some time to spare, come on down! It's sponsored by the Fairbanks Counseling andadoption Center... a good cause- walkers, cyclers, runners, rollerbladers, strollers, and even 4 legged particiapnts (on leashes) are welcome. $15 gets you in, gets you a neato looking t-shirt, and enters you in a drawing for a mountain bike, along with various other door prizes. An extra 6 smackers even got Madderbeans a scarf to wear (no, I'm not telling her it actually is for the 4 legged participants).
-We finally have word on our furniture! HOORAY! Our household goods are in town and will be delivered on Thursday. I have spent the better part of the day trying to remember how much stuff we have and getting excited over seeing my stash of cloth diapers, Madderbean's toys, and my nice, big, comfy bed again, not to mention the pots and pans, the bread machine, my stash of Charlie's Soap laundry detergent, and various other comforts I've been missing.
-And finally, tomarrow, we make big fire. The landlord is supposed to be securing a burn permit and we are going to set fire to all the debris piles in the yard. My husband (a firefighter) says he knows how to do this. Me, I'm glad we are well insured. LOL
Hope everyone is having good days, wherever you are on the planet!
Happy Moose Trails!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A little Homesick
Well, phooey. I'm a little homesick today and no one seems to be answering thier phones "back home" (which technically is all over the place, not just Alabama).
Madderbeans and I ventured out to church this morning, checking out North Pole Worship Center. We were initially warned (by Baptists, *grin*) that the place was "overly charismatic". Well, not that we are pew jumping, snake handlers, but we like a little excitement to our church going.
The place was indeed charismatic, but not "overly" so. Aside from worship and announcements being a little um, not our style, the message today was good, the pastor makes the Bible and Jesus relevant to present day life, and we had a good time.
The homesickness comes in here. My mother-in-law would have loved the place, and I spent some of church daydreaming about a visit from my inlaws (who are wonderful people) and bringing my mother-in-law to church with me. I also desperately missed my old place of worship, as the music and people are more familiar to me.
Madderbeans was somewhat cooperative, but mostly prefered to sit on the floor shrieking with delight at discovering how far away from me she could crawl. MUCH appreciation to the church for tolerating her antics and not shooing us off to the nursery! To me, the whole point of going to church is about the cmmunity and fellowship with other people. If it were just about God's word or going to a building, we could do that at home.
Beans was tolerant enough of everything to allow me to sit (well, chase her) through the entire service, for which I was glad, but didn't leave me much time for socializing and meeting new potential friends. Maybe next week, as we will likely go back.
I will say that I hope we make some friends soon. Not sure where the local mommy/baby friendly hangouts are, but it does tend to get a little lonely, even in summer time when people are out and about. Slipping out of church mostly unnoticed and going home to have lunch by myself magnified the lonliness, and I am looking forward to hubby being home tomarrow for his company.
Madderbeans and I ventured out to church this morning, checking out North Pole Worship Center. We were initially warned (by Baptists, *grin*) that the place was "overly charismatic". Well, not that we are pew jumping, snake handlers, but we like a little excitement to our church going.
The place was indeed charismatic, but not "overly" so. Aside from worship and announcements being a little um, not our style, the message today was good, the pastor makes the Bible and Jesus relevant to present day life, and we had a good time.
The homesickness comes in here. My mother-in-law would have loved the place, and I spent some of church daydreaming about a visit from my inlaws (who are wonderful people) and bringing my mother-in-law to church with me. I also desperately missed my old place of worship, as the music and people are more familiar to me.
Madderbeans was somewhat cooperative, but mostly prefered to sit on the floor shrieking with delight at discovering how far away from me she could crawl. MUCH appreciation to the church for tolerating her antics and not shooing us off to the nursery! To me, the whole point of going to church is about the cmmunity and fellowship with other people. If it were just about God's word or going to a building, we could do that at home.
Beans was tolerant enough of everything to allow me to sit (well, chase her) through the entire service, for which I was glad, but didn't leave me much time for socializing and meeting new potential friends. Maybe next week, as we will likely go back.
I will say that I hope we make some friends soon. Not sure where the local mommy/baby friendly hangouts are, but it does tend to get a little lonely, even in summer time when people are out and about. Slipping out of church mostly unnoticed and going home to have lunch by myself magnified the lonliness, and I am looking forward to hubby being home tomarrow for his company.
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