Write your name in the land

I was awake at 5 this morning, a little earlier than planned but what can you do. I lay in bed for a while trying to go back to sleep and thinking about spring. And then I thought about summer, and then I thought about cloudy days, then frost, and winter. Then I had an epiphany. I live in the freaking arctic. Well technically the Arctic Circle is around 125 miles north of here, but close enough. And then the thought: Why do we live here?

I'm glad I asked. I actually have a great answer for this after being here for 30 years. It's good to remember when confronted with the hassles of living in this climate. Here's a partial list of pros:

1. My husband. He lives here. That would seem obvious but I have a thing where I really like being where he is.
2. My family and friends. Including my daughter I currently have five relatives that live here with me and countless dear friends that are "Alaskan Family".
3. Appreciation. When you have the contrast that we do, -60 F* in the winter and up to 90 F* in the summer, you really appreciate things like green leaves on trees and grass on the ground and sun on your face and birds singing, etc. Summer is like a high for me. It's only three months long but who ever heard of a three-month long high.
4. Repeating traditions. I've only ever had one Christmas that wasn't white, and that was in California. It's really, really pretty. Just last night my daughter and I played in the giant icy puddle on our street, and she fell in and cried, just like every other kid growing up in Alaska does at this time of year. It's fun watching her experience the things I did when I was a kid.
5. The sky. I've been to a lot of different places, and the sky looks completely different here, and amazing. When I am not here I get lonely for the way it looks.

Yes I could see picking up roots and moving to a warmer place somewhere along the line, we like Costa Rica a lot... could you imagine eating locally grown mangos on a regular basis? But for now when things get tough, it's dark and cold, or wildfires have filled my valley with smoke, I just remember to write my name in the land. Remember Skylark, the sequel to Sarah Plain and Tall? "You don't have to love this land," said Maggie. "But if you don't love it, you won't survive. Jacob's right. You have to write your name in the land to live here."

You can't spend all your time daydreaming of other places. You must embrace it. And if necessary get out there with an actual stick and write your name in the actual land. When the snow melts, of course.

Beautiful Things

We are just getting over the two-week crud and over the last couple of days the world has shifted back into beautiful. I am back at the gym, the snow melting off the roof sounds like rain all day long, and there are beautiful things all around. I opened a perfect avocado today, perhaps a random fact, but it was another gorgeous thing I thought was worth mentioning. Above are a few pictures of things I think are beautiful.

Mia Has Fun

We visited the World Ice Art Championships on Sunday night. They just finished the multi-block portion of the competition so we decided it was the perfect time to go. It was the warmest I've been in several years due to the weather and my new amazing snowpants. The kid's section was very impressive with slides, spinning ice nests, ice tunnels and a sledding hill with lighted tracks! Of course the warm-up hut with hot cocoa and indoor plumbing was also fun.


We went on our snowpants, but the kids who used sleds went super-fast down these tracks.

Mia kissing an ice-sculpture dog. She's not very picky when it comes to dogs.

Mia and Jason hiding out in a small igloo.

Mia's imitation of Lady Liberty. She gets so excited every time we see a picture of her, ever since she got to see the real one in New York. We crack up whenever she does this, she holds perfectly still and gets stoic; it's awesome!

Grandma Anne

For a moment time stood still last night. I saw everything but saw nothing. Then I realized I was still grating carrots for the cake I was making, but with glazed over eyes. Sesame Street droned on in the background. I think I grated a part of my finger around that time. I got a call about my Grandmother. She had a medical procedure done last night and she's going to be fine. But for several all-consuming moments I thought of her, coming to Alaska to take care of me when I was sick, cooking for me, scrubbing floors on her hands and knees, taking care of an 8 month-old baby; did I mention she was in her seventies at the time? She's a super-hero. She helps others when they are in need and doesn't need much herself. Only yesterday afternoon I was thinking about her advice for roasting chicken, and attempting one of my own. One of my most treasured possessions is a piece of yellow note paper that I asked her to write her baked chicken, salad dressing, and hollandaise sauce recipes on. Right there, in her handwriting is the real deal. I know it's right because she wrote it. I have referenced that paper so many times since she gave it to me in 2008... and yesterday I realized I am nowhere close to reconciling any idea of her mortality. Oh mine I've come face to face with but some people just seem like they'll live forever and she's one of them. So thank goodness for everything that's made it possible for her to shop and scrub another day! Love you Grandma Anne. I promise to make you a really good chicken the next time I get the chance!

February Blizzard

This past Sunday and Monday saw 18 inches of snow dumped in our area. It was more like living in North Dakota or something. Our local paper had just published a piece on another low snow year, besides we just had our roads grated last week so it was bound to happen. Monday Jason was able to take the day off and we built the coolest snow fort; Mia was laughing and asked, "Is this fun?" She could swim in pure powder all over our yard. The snow fort started as a place for her to duck down out of the winds that followed the snow. It whipped up the fresh snow and gave a sculpted look to it. Today is a bit colder but it's been great. I like a lot of snow. Unless I start to think about the fact that every flake that falls is another one that must melt before spring comes, I'll be fine.

Dude, where's my car?



Blowing snow caused white-out conditions all around town.


Jason did a lot of shoveling on Monday.


Mia's ready to face the elements.


Slightly snow-encrusted.

Another Delicious Poem...

Be Like the Bird

Be like the bird, who
Halting in his flight
On limb too slight
Feels it give way beneath him
Yet sings
Knowing he hath wings.

Victor Hugo

One of my Favorite Poems...

To a Skylark

Hail to thee, blithe spirit!
Bird that never wert,
That from heaven, or near it,
Pourest thy full heart
In profuse strains of premeditated art.

Higher still and higher
From the earth thou springest
Like a cloud of fire;
The blue deep thou wingest,
And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.

In the golden lightening
Of the setting sun,
O'er which clouds are brightening,
Thou dost float and run
Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun.

Percy Bysshe Shelley