Snow! Snow! Snow!

Yesterday as I wandered around outside for a little while, glad that the snow had melted now, and I started making plans on where my garden would be this year.

I noticed all the trash in the yard that had been covered up with snow, the wind here blows all winter so we end up with a lot of garbage in the yard by the time the snow melts.

So I figured I would spend this Saturday cleaning up the Yard and some light housework, so was I ever surprised to see this when I woke up this morning.

Fresh Snow 10 Inches--April 30th

Picture by K. Fields

10 inches of brand new heavy wet snow. It sure is beautiful when it first comes down and lays on the tree branches. I tried to squelch the discouragement I felt inside, when I seen the heavy layer of snow on everything again, and to just enjoy the beauty.


My Back Yard Snow Surprise

Picture by K. Fields

Tho I had to deal with the dirty looks from the cat, he expects me to go outside and get rid of all the snow for him, and acts huffy when I try to explain how impossible that is...so as you can see by his stare, his expectations of me have been lowered further still…

My Unhappy Kitty Kat

Picture by K. Fields

Depression set in when I had to go to work, and the post office, it was a mess, I felt that discouragement come back again as I slogged thru this:

Muddy—Slushy—Slippery—Sloggy Mess

Picture by K. Fields

But on my way home from work tonight, I noticed that it was already starting to melt and that has perked me back-up...and I have happy thoughts of greenery again

The Alaska Range Summer Time View

Picture by Mike Kingston

CU

Interesting Nome Facts

Nome, Alaska was Founded in 1898

Welcome: a large Gold Pan with metal gold miner sculptures and old dredge buckets

Picture by K. Fields

Located: West Alaska, on the southern side of Seward Peninsula, on Norton Sound of the Bering Sea.

Frozen Bering Sea as far as you can see... in April

Picture by K. Fields

Population: 3,500
75.4 % are American Indian, and Alaskan Native persons
This count does not include the outlying areas and villages.

Land Area: 2000 square miles.

Nome was a Gold Rush town from 1899-1903
At that time there were over 20,000 prospectors, tho most left or
died due to hardships.

Dredging was most popular in the 1950’s but stopped in 1962,
and was started up again in the 1980’s

Old Gold Dredge

Picture by K. Fields

Iditarod Dogsled races started March 3, 1973 and continue…
“Iditarod - Dog Sled Race In 1925, a diphtheria epidemic threatened the town of Nome. The much needed serum was raced from Nenana to Nome by dog team. Twenty teams relayed the medicine 674 miles in 27.5 hours! Today this historic event is commemorated with the world famous Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The competition starts in Anchorage on the first Saturday in March. The first musher arrives in Nome approximately 10- 1 2 days later. Teams continue to arrive day and night for the next week and a half. In Nome, activities include a reindeer potluck, arts & crafts shows, Iditarod awards banquets, an opportunity to “meet the mushers,” the world’s largest basketball tournament the Iditarod Basketball Tournament (over 50 teams in one location), the Ice Golf Classic and a dart tournament.
*****
Every March, a dog-sled race called the Iditarod runs from Anchorage to Nome. It takes about 12 days to reach the finish line.” Quoted from:
http://www.usstatereports.com/funFacts.

"Movable" End of Iditarod Race Arch

Picture by K. Fields

I really enjoyed visiting this place, there were some similarities to where I live, so I felt right at home there. I would love to go back again, in the summer to get some comparison pictures, and see my new and old friends again!

CU

"Gold in dem' thar Hills"

The City of “Nome” was nothing like I had "pictured in my mind", which is good, because the "picture in my mind" wasn’t! It was formed by so many ..."opinions"... of others, which were not good.

Actually, I was reminded of home, except we have 3 roads out of this place, that you can hop into your car, and drive somewhere else if you want too, they don't have that option.

In the flight from Anchorage to Nome, when you look out the window, you see nothing but hills, frozen rivers, and mountains covered with snow, all the way.

An Aeriel view of on the way to Nome

Picture by K. Fields

When we arrived, it was around 35 degrees and muddy and slushy from melting snow. It cost $95 dollars a day to rent a cab, so we decided to walk. So we walked everywhere during our visit.

All the restaurants, shops, and churches were within a walking distance from about one tiny block or up to a mile. So walking was rather fun!

Walking in the mud and slush in Nome, Alaska

Picture by K. Fields

There are a few things Nome is always remembered by: "The Iditarod Race", a dog sled race which Lance Mackey won this year…again!!! Way to go Lance!!!!! (Actually! I don't know him, but using a first name base, is always what people expect Alaskans to do... after all we must "know everybody", since we live in such a thinly populated State!)

The Iditarod Race description: It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline. Excerpt taken from the official Iditarod web page: http://www.iditarod.com/

The Famous "Iditarod" Arch, end of the race

Picture by K. Fields

And another thing Nome is known for is .... Gold...Gold....Gold...It's definitely a "Gold Rush Town" in fact... the town folk that live there... told me that if I picked up a pan and panned for gold. I would get some in every try...which I would have tried to take them up on, except, everything is covered in snow and ice this time of year!

An extremely large "Gold Pan" with metal sculptures of Gold Panners (My term: "Gold junkies") and metal "gold dredge" buckets
Picture by K. Fields

More to come on Nome!!!

CU

A traveling we will go!

Went to Fairbanks yesterday, it was snowing like crazy, and the roads were a mess. It took 2.5 hours where normally it takes about 1.5 hours to get there. It is that time of year, where the temperatures are warmer, yet it is still snowing on and off, and that ends up making our paved highways very slick. But the great thing about this time of year is that the roads are a mess in the morning, but by evening they are clear and dry again.

Scenic road view
Picture by Michael Kingston

When traveling in Alaska, we do not have gas stations or 7-11 mini stores everywhere, the tiny gas stations that we have are few and far apart, and there is no guarantee that they will be open, so it is always best to keep our car fueled up the whole time we are traveling,

Alaska has many miles and miles and miles of highway, that are slim in population, except for wildlife. We need to make sure we carry essentials with us, in case of:

Buffalo on the road!

Picture by Michael Kingston

*Accident
*Flat tire
*Avalanche
*Mud or Rock slides
*Blizzards
*You run into a moose, caribou, bear, or buffalo (which usually destroys your vehicle)
*Earthquakes
*White-out* (White-out =" snowblind" where everything is covered in fresh white snow, and it is snowing really hard, and you cannot distinguish the road from the ground, or the vehicles in front of, or behind you! an extremely dangerous time to drive)
*Road Damage
*Road Work
Or other “extreme” weather conditions or situations that can cause you to stop for a while.

Here is a list of what every Alaskan should carry when traveling, we must carry enough for the driver and each passenger:

Blankets and/or sleeping bag
Change of clothes (clothes should always be kept dry)
Extra socks (should always keep your feet dry)
Boots (for hiking, and for warmth)
Extra coat (even in the summer, the temperatures can quickly drop to dangerous levels)
Road Flares, (several)
Good spare tire
Jack and crowbar
Bottled water
Food-packages of dried fruit, nuts etc.(enough to feed driver and passengers)
Cell phone (works in some areas on the highways)
Working Flashlight with extra batteries
Sterno (Canned Heat)
Can opener
Matches (lighters don’t always work in the extreme cold)
Jumper Cables
Bottle of antifreeze
Oil
Medications (extra)
Well Stocked First Aid Kit!

Ariel View of our Town surrounded with miles and miles of pure beauty!

Picture by Michael Kingston

Most of the people that I know that live here carry a gym bag already packed with these items, which they can grab as they leave and easily carry back in to the house.

We can’t leave the liquid stuff in the car over-night or any long length of time without the car running and the heater on during the winter months, because of our extreme freezing temps.

Now! The people that have lived here the longest tend to get lazy and don't carry all the essentials for road travel.. I have to admit, most of the time I don't either, it just seems like too much of a bother, but that really isn't a very good excuse, it may save some one's life, possibly my own!

CU

Here Moosey, Moosey!

We have a lot of Moose living in this area (between 150,000 and 170,000 live in Alaska). We have to be cautious when we are outside and notice one nearby, because they have no problem with stomping a human.

They chew the bark of the Willow bushes that grow around our house. We can tell how deep the snow was every winter by how high the chew marks are on the trees when the snow melts.

I own a business which thrives during tourist season, and the one question everyone always asks, is "where are the Moose"? They expect to see them everywhere, which they are, but half the time you don’t even know they're there.

For such large ungainly animals they walk very quietly. The best way I can think of to give you some kinda idea of how well they blend in is: there have been some cartoons, where they've had the Moose, Bull, or Buffalo, completely disappear behind a skinny tree.

I know it sounds silly, but there are many people who can confirm this! You can be watching a Moose walk across the road, and it seems as soon as they hit the tree line, you have to really look hard to see them, most of the time you can’t. They blend in so quickly with the trees it seems as if they disappear.

A Mass of Moose!

Picture by Michael Kingston

Spring and Summer is when we see all the baby (calves) Moose with their mommas (known as Cows). It normally takes about 230 days gestation, about half the time twins occur, depending on the right environmental conditions. The baby usually weighs 30 pounds at birth, and can grow to 300 pounds in the first 5 months.

They will not survive without the mommas for at least 1 year… Now and then I have seen triplets. We have to be extra careful around a momma Moose with her baby/babies; she is more aggressive and will chase after you, if you seem a slightest threat to her little ones.

Momma Moose and her little one!
Picture by Michael Kingston

We can see Moose in almost all the areas where there's water, they eat the algae on the bottom of the small lakes, and they have no problem swimming across a lake or river.

A adult female (Cow) Moose usually weighs around 1300 pounds and never have antlers, and a full grown Male (Bull) can weigh approximately 1800 pounds, plus his antlers can weigh up to 75 pounds, and they stand around or over 7 feet tall when in full antler.

Moose, if they can survive predators, (Wolves, Bears, Hunters) vehicles, (300 to 1000 moose can be killed a year on the Highways and railroad tracks) weather conditions (extreme winters and no food), and stay healthy usually can live a little past 15 years.

Full Grown Bull Moose Swimming
Picture by Michael Kingston

Moose are my favorite, I think they are awesome, seeing a full grown Bull Moose in his full dark brown velvet covered antlers can take your breath away, they are so magnificent!

CU

It was just a "Joke" ???

Words are so powerful. We can ruin or improve someone’s life, just by what we say! It is amazing how it works.

I was just reading about two Disc Jockeys that some refer to as "Shock-Jocks". ( I am assuming this makes what they say and do acceptable in the general public) They made a very (disgusting) statement; using body fluids and Alaska Native women in what they said was a “joke”…

I am glad that an Alaska native woman is making a public statement and demanding justice. Because what those DJ’s said/implied/inferred was an indirect intimation about Alaska Native women, in a disparaging or a derogatory (derogatory=tending or intending to belittle) nature, and I feel shouldn’t be tolerated now or ever.

I feel that anyone who is in the position of public speaking, whether on TV, Radio, etc. should be held responsible for remarks or statements that they make. Even tho some are using the defense that it was just… a …“joke"…??? (Joke=to tease or mock good-humoredly)

There is a certain responsibility to every word spoken to those who are listening, especially if it was a statement made from a receptacle that all ages and types of people listen to. Which also means the speaker had no way of knowing who is listening. How many children heard that “joke”?

Saying “if you don’t want to hear it, turn it off” is kind of a “hindsight 20/20” remark, because I am sure that most people listening to that program didn’t expect to hear that “joke”.

Why? Because they wouldn’t be expecting in this day and age of “politically correctness” to hear what is considered a degrading, racial slur (slur= a disparaging remark or a slight, a blot or stain, as upon reputation) against Native Alaskan Women!!

Using “freedom of speech” is not really a very good argument either. Because being able to speak freely is to be able to say whatever you want about whoever you want but what most of us would like to forget is; that you can be held responsible.

There are consequences to every action! Whether we like it or not, we are held accountable to what we say and do to each other. Claiming to know that last bit of information...would you still continue to say whatever, wherever, whenever???

Here are some examples of what some may claim are “assaults” on freedom of speech taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/freedom

The news articles that I have read on what these DJ’s said or inferred (to hint; imply; suggest) with what they called a “joke”, I would be considered it to be either #12 or # 19.

1) Defamation (slander and libel)
2) Product Defamation (criticism of commercial products; sometimes called product libel or product disparagement))
3) Obscenity
4) Threats
5) Lying in Court
6) Talking out of turn during a trial, or talk that causes contempt of court,
7) Speaking about a trial outside the courtroom after the judge forbids it.
8) Speaking publicly without a permit
9) Speaking publicly outside of a free speech zone
10) Limits on the size of public demonstrations
11) Profanity
12) Hate Speech that is defamatory or causes incitement to violence
13) Noise pollution
14) Speech that contains a copyright infringement
15) Company secrets (trade secrets) such as how a product is made or company strategy
16) Political secrets: campaign strategies, dirty past/deeds of a politician etc
17) Classified information: sensitive or secret to protect the national interest.
18) Lies that cause a crowd to panic or causes clear and present danger or imminent lawless action, such as shouting fire in a crowded theater.
19) Fighting words doctrine: (U.S. 1942) “insulting” or fighting words” those that by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.
20) Sedition: speech or organization (vs Freedom of Assembly) that is deemed as tending toward insurrection against the established order.
21) Treason: to talk publicly of the death of all countrymen or the overthrow of the government
These and more “freedom of speech” arguments are used to excuse threatening (To utter threats against; to menace; to inspire with apprehension; to alarm, or attempt to alarm, as with the promise of something evil or disagreeable) words used against someone else.

Even the Bible warns us of "words" and the power that they have:

Modern King James Version
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it shall eat the fruit of it.

Message Bible Version:

Proverbs 18:20 Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.

Proverbs 18:21 Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit--you choose.

CU

Four-Wheelin’ Age Limits?

Brush with Death!
Two days ago, I was driving on home from work, and just as I was coming to the top of the hill, out from the bush covered ditch, onto the highway, right in front of me, popped a four-wheeler with a young boy driving, and another young boy hanging over the driver. They couldn't have been older then 8 to 10 years. It took every driving skill I had to prevent running into them, it scared the “BGs” out of me. Then to top it off, they acted irritated and threateningly towards me!

I think four-wheelers are pretty cool and are being adopted more and more for transportation use. But, I have noticed more and more, younger and younger children on them, racing around erratically and doing stunts that are very dangerous. They are not only endangering their lives and their passengers (sometimes up to 6) with them, but also the people innocently driving on the highways.

Every area has different requirements for different vehicles, tho the requirements, if there are any, for this very popular mode of transportation seem to be a little fuzzy. Are there restrictions of ages? If not, I think there should be! We are required to be a certain age, take written tests and pass driving tests to prove our competency, in order to drive on the streets/highways/roads. So, with the amount of four-wheelers being driven all over the place now, I feel the same regulations should be applied.

Are there requirements?
They should have as already mentioned, age and size restrictions, written and driving tests, and safety classes, possibly, even helmets on the younger ones and passengers for protection. Doesn’t it seem odd, that, it is recommended, and in some places required, that children wear kneepads, elbow pads, helmets and shoes when riding a bicycle, skates or skateboard, yet they are allowed to drive those machines, (some are the size of small cars) around on dirt paths (and more and more on the highways) that are rutted, pitted, flooded and sometimes not even there, with no protection whatsoever, and with no speed or driving requirements?

It use to be, that the people driving the four-wheelers, just stuck to the paths on the sides of the roads, then all the car/truck driver had to deal with, was being blinded by the extremely bright, glaring, bouncing headlights, and the dirt being kicked up so thick you could hardly see thru it. But now, even though they shouldn’t be, the four-wheeler’s are also all over the highways/roads seemingly oblivious to traffic and road rules, and I have heard numerous complaints from around the area, that four-wheelers are being driven all over private property causing a lot of damage and destruction, at all hours of the day and night.

Parental Supervision?
I sometimes wonder if these young one’s parents, even know what these kids are doing on these very expensive and dangerous piece of equipment. They also, must have a never ending pool of money to dip into, because with the cost of fuel these days, and their kids driving (driving is a pretty mild word to use, maybe I need to say, racing, ramming, jumping and side wheeling, and dodging) all day and night on these pricey vehicles.. Not to mention, the ones causing the trouble and destruction around town and on private property, eventually will be caught and the damages will need to be paid for..

I have to be fair, it is not just the young kids doing this either. Maybe it is just me, but when I see the way some of these people are driving in those machines, I cringe, because, just the thought of broken bones, and being in pain for the rest of my life, not to mention the life long medical/medicine expenses, causes me to be extra careful when I am driving anything.

CU

Spring Cleaning Blues!

It’s that time of year again, in the interior of Alaska, where you open a window for the first time, after 8 months of winter, and take a deep breath of clean, refreshing spring air, without freezing your lungs.

One of the first signs of Spring! Melting icicles!

Photo by Michael Kingston

And then… suddenly… the …*feeling*…starts, (feeling = “Oh! My! I have got to clean this up!!”) And everywhere you look you will get a “magnified” view of dirt, grime, clutter, cobwebs, dust, and piles of stuff. Causing you to wonder “Why didn’t I notice this before”?

You’ve never noticed this *disarray* all winter. I swear it is an unspoken phenomenon having to do with the spring sunshine. And, it seems to have an effect on women more then men!

Quite frankly, the one thing I’ve noticed the men doing during the first signs of this Spring phenomenon…is…they enter the sheds and start digging out the fishing and camping gear…setting up tents all over the yard to air out!

Another sign of Spring; no more ice covering the water in the lakes, streams, and rivers.

Photo by Michael Kingston

It starts out simple enough, you begin by brushing down a cobweb you just happen to notice, and then you look around, and you notice something else that needs to be cleaned, which causes you to notice another thing, then another and on and on it goes.

The worst is when you finally get through the house, you find yourself carrying piles of stuff to put in the shed or garage for “safekeeping”, and when you open the door…yup! There goes that “feeling” again.

So, you start plowing thru everything in there, pulling pile after pile outside to reorganize and clean up.

This is when you discover where the squirrels have been nesting all Winter, which wasn’t really hard to find, because there’s a huge mountain of pinecone debris and some stuff that looks like…well… ummmm…well…there is just no description for it other then Ewww! Nasty! Yuck!

So you clean all that out, with all the stored stuff that’s been ruined, pile it up and light up the first burn pile of the season!

Once that job is done, and you are completely exhausted. You look around and feel quite proud of yourself. You can finally relax

And as you sit down at the computer to do a little surfing and game playing, you glance up and your eye-sight lands on a bottle of engine fluid that you sat by the door, to be taken out to the car, so with a sigh, knowing that if you don’t do it now, it will continually bug you and ruin your relax time.

You reluctantly take the fluid out to the car. And as you open the car door, a smudge of mud, from driving on “Break-Up” roads, gets on your hand. (Break-up = huge water puddles, Thick slimy mud and potholes)
I don’t even have to tell ya what happens next…So, you resignedly start cleaning out the car, wondering how you managed to get all that stuff in there.

Put it all away, and clean the inside of the car, shampoo the seats and carpeting. Clean the muck off all the windows.

Then of course you have to drive it to the carwash to clean up and polish the outside. When you bring it home, it’s shiny outside, and smelling clean on the inside.

You go into the house, now knowing that all is well, and sit down with your laptop for that much deserved down time.

Then! You notice that your files are not quite right; they need to be more organized…Sigh!

CU

"Pot Hole" Season

Ahhh! Spring time in Alaska! Or in "Sourdough" (person who has lived in Alaska a long time) terms: "Pot-Hole" season!

Our road system in Alaska is very limited; we have very few paved roads. Most are graveled. In the winter the gravel roads are great; the snow packs down on them, and levels them out.

But!!! When spring arrives, the snow melts. Firstly anyone who had been around Spring-time, any place it snows knows all about the slushy muddy mess on unpaved roads and walkways. You do not dare stop or you will sink into deep thick mud.

And then, when the mud finally starts drying up, what’s left of the roads are huge potholes, ridges from tires that dug into the mud, and wash boarding, (many cross ridges in the road, making it a very bumpy ride).

We have to be careful, it can look very deceiving, you’re driving along, minding your own business, and there are some puddles in the road,

You can’t drive around them; because of the huge 12 to 16 foot ditches on each either of what some may call a two lane, (that’s pushing it) gravel road.

Then wham! You’re stuck! Inside one of those innocent puddles lurks a huge pothole that grabs your tire, and sometimes the whole front of your car ends up in the hole.


I know what you’re thinking! How can you not see a hole that big? I’m tellin’ ya! You would be surprised!

The water in the puddle/pothole is so muddy; it blends into its surroundings of other ridges, bumps, and puddles, causing a delusion. And when you are traveling faster then 10 miles an hour, your brain does not associate the puddles you see, with depth!

Once everything is finally dry from the ice and snow melting, then the rains start! Of course on the very dry days, you can see someone coming from miles away, because of the dust in the air.

And as for our paved road (s)! With the annual frost heaves, it would take a whole “nother” posting to describe, but I can give you a hint of what it is like.

Quoted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frost_heaving

Frost heaving (or frost heave) occurs when soil expands and contracts due to freezing and thawing. This process can damage plant roots through breaking or desiccation, cause cracks in pavement, and damage the foundations of buildings, even below the frost line. Moist, fine-grained soil at certain temperatures is most susceptible to frost heaving



Okay! I don’t want to sound completely negative about our roads, so the one positive thought I could come up with...our service stations benefit from annual front-end alignments.

CU

Spring? Winter?

I am getting tired of the cold weather now…It is still spitting snow, and I still need my winter coat most days.

I can almost smell spring in the air, and it is making me feel anxious to see green again. I look forward to the color all around me in the summer time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love winter; I love the snow, the cold, and the frost covering the trees, added to the ice crystals floating around in the air, causing everything to sparkle. It’s absolutely breathtaking!

It is usually cloudy or overcast during the “almost” 4 hours of daylight we have in the winter

It is kind of weird to see the sunshine in the winter, when you do see it, but you can’t feel it at all. Even sitting in a car with the sun shining through the window, you can’t feel the warmth.

In the summer you can see it, and really feel the warmth, I can’t get enough sometimes.

We still need to drive with caution right now, the roads ice up at night and have water laying on them during the day from the ice and snow melting.

The air is still too chilly to leave the house windows open, but for a few minutes, to let in some fresh air…

My cat is driving me nuts, he wants to go outside, yet when the chill in the air hits his whiskers, he backs off grumbling. He expects me to fix it.

But I already can’t wait till the very cold temps of -30' and lower again, because someone just told me about this fun thing I want to try.

Bubbles, blowing bubbles, they said that blowing bubbles on the really cold days, like minus 40, the bubbles form nicely, but will shatter like glass, you can hear the tinkling.

In the warmer temps of - 20' to -30' they form, but they stretch, by the description, I’ve pictured in my mind, the how the oil looks in the old fashioned lava lamps.

So, now I am looking forward to trying these new things out with my grand kids next winter. I will let you know how things turn out...

I forgot to throw a cup of hot coffee in the air at -50'… I have been told that it turns to steam immediately and disappears, but then again someone else told me it freezes solid in a matter of seconds.

So I will have to remember to try that out too… Might as well, make the most of the cold temps, and have a little fun.

CU

Late! Tardy! Fashionable?

I just plain, out right, refuse to believe, that being late for appointments, meetings, or social functions, is in fact, the new “in” thing. Fashionable!?!?

I work really hard to get the stuff I have to get done, done quickly, so that I can make it to a *planned ahead of time* meeting…on time…as I am sure you do, and nothing makes me more antsy then to have to sit there for half hour or more waiting for someone or others to show up.

Then to make matters worse…the person holding the meeting decides to wait till the latecomers arrive, so they don’t have to repeat themselves. I’ve been forced to do this too, especially when I’ve had a lot of ground to cover. But when this is done, it has caused the meeting to last longer then planned…frustrating everyone attending.

Hmmmm…Let me see… what does “E-How” www.ehow.com “How to do just about everything” have to say about tardiness, and late arrivals…

And I quote… “Some despise authority and live by their own rules, while others are just over scheduled, absent minded or a little bit on the self indulgent side”. Either/or it's not a very flattering view…

Now I realize there are circumstances that come up, that will cause lateness sometimes. I’ve been in that situation myself a time or two, but if the tardiness happens over and over again, then it becomes a frustrating problem, not just for the person waiting, but also for the latecomer too...

Most manners’ books will suggest that 15 minutes is long enough to wait for someone running late. But I say “Give me a break!!!” With modern technology, everyone has *cell phone’s* now; there is no reason a call can’t be made explaining the “delay” right away. Then a decision can be made to go ahead with the plans or to wait.

Being chronically late for anything, is not fashionable it is just plain rude, and disrespectful of other’s time.

If you’re late for business meetings (of any sort), it can cause disruptions and holdups, ending up with frustration at not getting things finished or discussed in a timely matter. Not to mention…being late could cost you your job! It shows a lack of consideration for your fellow businessmen and women.

If you’re chronically late for dinner or lunch dates, you are showing a lack of respect for who-ever you’re meeting, as if they are not important enough, for you to be on time.

If you’re late for school, church, or big assembly meetings, you are disrespecting the many people that are there on time. Arriving late disrupts what is going on, and causes distractions. It can possibly cause someone to miss something important that they wanted to see or hear.

Your lateness can cause you to be construed or interpreted as a dawdler, laggard, retarded, delinquent, ill-mannered, boarish, etc.

Don’t believe me? Well…see for yourself! These and all the other words that are used for "Tardy" in the Thesaurus. Just click this link and read for yourself... http://thesaurus.reference.com

And while you’re at it check out the other words used for “late”…backward…behind...just to name a few…

When you become chronically late for everything, then you are definitely having issues. You may be overloaded with things to do; you may need to re-adjust your timing. Or you just may need to look at why you’re always late…and fix it.

CU

I'm Busy!

Does there seem to be times, where it seems that there is just too much to do? Seems my life has been that way lately…Busy…Busy…Busy…

Between being a full time business owner that takes every ounce of my attention during work hours. Plus my usual chores at home, family members, church activities, pets, and yes! even outside chores that need to be done. It seems as if there is always something to do.

Is it me? I remember when there was time to sit around and read a good book. I haven’t done that in a long, long, long, time, I do have a few half finished ones, laying around tho, calling out to me whenever I look at them, making me feel guilty that I haven’t finished them yet.

I also remember a time when I didn’t feel so rushed to get stuff done. I had time to go out to lunch with a good friend, and to play with my grandchildren…

I have tried all the wonderful, self help books out there that have every kind of suggestions on how to organize your life. But found out that I spent too much time organizing and trying to keep it organized. And still didn’t get anything completely done.

I get several different emails everyday with helpful hints to help make your life easier, my favorite being Mary Hunt. http://www.debtproofliving.com But then I find that I spend more time reading about all these wonderful ideas rather then implementing them.

I have found that lately I have been happier sitting around with the laptop on my lap, then doing anything else, which really eats up tons of time, and nothing else gets done.

Now, I have thought about hiring a maid service to do the essentials in the house twice a week, but, I have exhausted myself cleaning up the house, on the thought that she/he might see that we truly are the biggest slobs ever. So that defeats the possibility of adding more time to my day.

I find myself agreeing to do too much too, and it isn’t that I can’t say no! I don’t want to! Everything is just too much fun or interesting to turn down, in fact! I find myself wishing that I had more time do more things. Life is too short; I want to cram as much new things into it as possible.

So for now, I am just going to have work around my busy days, and keep trying to figure out the secret, of how to have way too much time on my hands.

CU

Retreat or Rest?

I have been out of town the past few days, at a "Point to Hope" retreat/conference in Soldotna, Alaska. It was held at a campground, with cabins that had no Internet access, so I could not update my blog.

The Conference was fantastic and full of information, and has given me a new perspective on things of God. Some say to me when I get back from these conference/retreats, you must be well rested and refreshed now. And the funny thing is… I am... and yet... I am not!

I am feeling refreshed in the spiritual aspect, but exhausted in my physical aspect, because at these retreats, the schedules are very tight and action packed, let’s just say you don’t have time to sit around and be bored. But strangely enough, (but then who can really explain the super-naturalness of Jesus!). I feel refreshed and happy, and ready to get back into the swing of things at home.

At these retreats, we usually start really early in the morning (7 A.M) with a prayer rally, which I wouldn’t miss, because they are exciting, intriguing, thought provoking, and a great way to start out any day. Plus the three separate workshops each day and Nancy ending each day with laughter and prayer time that could last till 10 or even after midnight depending on the prayer action!

And totally wild and crazy, fun and exhilarating Praise and Worship time, with banners flying, beautiful songs of Worship, colorful flags and banners twirling, and dancing, prayers, just too much beauty for words to describe.

I know that it is said that the Praise and Worship is for the Lord, but I have to say, I really do get so refreshed and renewed too. Just another one of His many blessings to us.

Apostle Nancy Haney heads up this ministry. She is an amazing woman of God, who walks in Humility, Grace, and Love. She travels where-ever the Lord sends her, and He uses her to reach out and heal many, many hurt and broken-hearted men and women.

We had phenomenal speakers that spoke on the *Gifts of the Spirit*: Healing, Wisdom, Prophesy, Evangelism, Knowledge, Faith, Helps, Exhortation, and Teaching.

My roughest time was trying to decide which workshop/teaching to go to, because it was set-up that two workshops were going on at the same time, so you had to choose, and I have to say again!! For me is really hard!!! It was hard ‘cuz’, I am so inquisitive, I feel I must go to them all, so I had to be led by the Lord on which of them to take.

So I chose, Gift of Wisdom taught by Debbie Anderes, Gift of Prophesy by Pastor Kay Webb, , Gift of Evangelist by Kim Cain, Gift of Faith by Pastor Delores Benjamin, and the Gift of Knowledge by Pastor Sandy Longgrear.

All I can say is WOW!!! was I ever impressed on the way these awesome women of God delivered, clear, precise teachings on the subjects they were assigned. And to top it off! After each class/workshop, they had all the people that attended the workshop, stand in line, and Nancy joined the speaker to activate the "Gift" already in us, by laying on hands and prayer.

It was awesome. Lives were changed, and people were touched by the Lord in ways no earthly man(doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc) could do. Right before my eyes, I witnessed miracles, deliverance's, and people being healed... It was totally AWESOME!!! God is Good!

I would highly recommend to any one who loves the Lord or who is curious to attend one of the Point to Hope conference/retreats when they are in your area, you will be blessed. They have a website at: http://www.pointtohope.org

And most important:
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In the Holy Bible’s New Testament; teaches that Jesus Christ is the only source for salvation. (2 Timothy 2:10; Hebrews 5:9). As God's Son, Jesus lived a sinless and perfect life. However, to pay for our sins, He became our substitute.

The Bible says Jesus suffered death on a cross to pay the price for our sin (Romans 5:8).

The Bible teaches that salvation is not accomplished by human effort. It is God's work (1 Thessalonians 5:9) and is offered as a gift by his grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Every single person on this earth can be saved from death and eternal separation from God. All that is needed from us is to repent of all sin (2 Corinthians 7:10) and to believe in what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:15; 1 Peter 1:9).

The Bible says we must believe and confess that Jesus is the Lord of our lives (Romans 10:8-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus”)

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God

If we do 'believe', we can have a personal relationship with God and spend eternity in heaven with him.

Here is a simple prayer, sometimes referred to as the “Sinner’s Prayer” to help you: Regarding the location of sinner's prayer in the Bible? Well!! There isn't one mentioned; it is only implied.

The basis of the sinner's prayer comes from Romans 10:9-10, It is good to understand that this is a first step and that saying a "sinner's prayer" will not accomplish anything on its own.

A "sinner's prayer" is only effective if it genuinely represents what a person knows, understands, and believes about their sinfulness and need for salvation!

Heavenly Father, I come to You in prayer asking for the forgiveness of my sins. I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the Cross at Calvary that I might be forgiven and have Eternal Life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Father, I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask You right now to come into my life and be my LORD and SAVIOR..
-In Jesus Name Amen

If you have said this prayer or one similar to this, Then Know The Angels Are Rejoicing In Heaven.

Jesus Is Now Working With You In Your Life!

The Bible says:

"If the Son (Jesus) therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
John 8:36

Some Helpful Tips To Get You Started In Your New Walk With Jesus:

Join---- A Local Bible-Based, Holy Spirit Led Church. And get Baptized!
Pray --- Talk To Jesus As You Would A Good Friend.
Read---- Your Holy Bible Every Day.

Thanks Be Unto God For His Wonderful Gift!:

Jesus Christ!
The ONLY Begotten Son Of God
Is The Object Of Our Faith;

The Only Faith That Saves Is Faith In Him!

CU

Skool Daze (cont.)

The hot lunch kids usually ate inside the cafeteria (less chance of losing spoons and forks) and the sack /cold lunch kids usually ate outside at long picnic tables under a carport type covering. Unless the weather was lousy, then we all ate inside. Most kids wanted to bring their own lunches so they could be outside, and they usually ate as fast as they could so they could spend most of their lunch hour on the playground.

We had so much fun, playing on the swings, that had heavy metal poles, framed together, with a pole welded between them at the top, and that pole had long thick metal chains hanging from it, that connected to a thick leather seat that conformed to your bottom when you sat on it. There were always lines of kids taking turns swinging as high as the swings would go. I still love swinging to this day, tho, it’s harder and harder now to find the good, high, heavy duty, swing sets.

Or the metal jungle gym, *with just dirt under them* which had metal poles welded together that you could climb, forming a shape that peaked at the top. And most had a pole right down the middle of the jungle gym that you could slide down when you finally reached the very high and highly coveted top perch.

The long metal bars you could grab hold of and hang from, do chin ups on, and the gymnastic twirl around, with you’re knee bent around the pole, your hands on each side of your body holding the pole, and with a sweater or jacket placed under your knee, for padding so it didn’t hurt so much, but most importantly kept the pole slippery, so you could twirl very fast, till your arms got tired, causing you to let go and fall off. And the large metal rings hanging across a pole that you could swing hand over hand on, I still remember the large blisters on my hands, ouch!...

The very high metal sliding board with metal steps, and how we poured sand on the slide (when no one was looking) causing it to be even more slippery, and we could slide down faster. And the ever popular teeter-totter made with metal poles and wooden seats, that inevitable someone would jump off their seat/end without warning, causing the kid sitting on the other seat/end, to hit the ground with a hard thump.

And who can forget the flat, round, metal spinning *merry-go round*, with welded metal bars that crisscrossed on top, a bunch of kids would load up in the center and hold on to the bars (some daredevils would stand, balancing, on top of the bars) and other kids would stand on the ground, hold on to the bars near the outside of the circle, pushing the metal bar, and running (in the rut, caused by many years of feet) on the ground, around and around, so that it would spin faster, and then hopping on as quickly as they could, and hanging on tight, so they wouldn’t slide off while it was spinning, and hit the hard ground. Which many did!

There was the hopscotch, using a stone to mark the next place we had to skip over while hopping on one foot then two feet, then one foot, and there was also, four square, we played with the large red rubber bouncy ball that made that wonderful hollow sound when bounced on the black tarred playground. Also, the tether balls, and kick ball, and the large stretchy band, used for what we called Chinese jump roping, and the long heavy braided rope that had a kid holding each knotted end, turning it around and around, so that others could see how long they could jump without touching the rope.

We ran, played hard, shouted, and chased each other and took full advantage of the (2) 15 minute recesses and (1) hour long lunch break we had everyday. And at the end of the day, I remember well, that quiet excited, tenseness in the air, as eyes quickly glanced from a math/English/history book, to check the clock again and again, waiting for the sound of the last ring of the bell (sound of freedom), ending the school sessions for the day.

And the funny thing is, in my grade school, nobody got killed on the playground, doing what we did. No body got seriously injured or crippled even tho we didn't use helmets, or knee and elbow pads. We all got through the lower grades, healthy, strong and most of the time happy!

CU

Skool Daze!

I wonder if anyone else gets that nostalgic feeling, that I always get when I walk into a elementary school.

Today, as a favor for my daughter and son-in-law, I signed out, and picked up my grandson from kindergarten today. Seems he had, what the office referred to as, *a tragic milk accident* (accidentally spilled his milk on his pants) in the lunch room, and needed to change his clothes.

As I walked with him down the long halls, to his classroom at the other end of the school, (so that he could get his boots, coat, backpack, hat, gloves, and homework). I started reminiscing of when I went to elementary school, those many, many, years ago…I don’t believe there’s anyplace else that can have the *look* of teaching materials in all colors and shapes, pinned up and down every open spaced wall, or have that wonderful age old *aroma* a mixture of scents; paste, crayons, markers, sweat, dirt, chalk, caged mice and fish tanks, and here in Alaska, wet coats and smelly boots etc…like a elementary school has year after year after year.

The sounds of the children voices in the classrooms, and the walk down the long decorated halls to my grandson’s class room, brought back memories of learning how to cut out shapes with those little metal scissors with rounded tips. This is also the time, where the rule “Don’t run with scissors in your hand!” comes into effect for most kids.

I also remembered sitting on one of those little chairs with the desk attached. You could lift the hinged desk top up, and inside was a place to store your books, paper, pencils, rulers, crayons, retractors, erasers and *small toy treasures* that you snuck out of the house and brought to school, (which nobody could see, because the teacher would confiscate them, and keep them in a locked drawer on his/her desk, the rest of the school year!). Where I was taught how to write, using those big fat pencils and crayons that made it easier for tiny hands to grip. I hated those cream colored papers with the red top line, a blue bottom line, with about an inch of space between them, that also had a dotted midline, that we used to practice writing our names, 1,2,3’s , Aa,Bb,Cc’s and spelling words over and over and over again.

The scent in the air around me, brought back to my memory, the thick white paste, that smelled like peppermint (that most children can’t resist tasting, at least once), and how we used popsicle sticks (or fingers) to smear the paste all over the back of the shapes that we cut out from the blue, green, red, yellow, brown, purple, and white construction paper, which we then pressed the messy, gluey shapes down on another big sheet of construction paper.

There were large sheets of white or cream colored paper, laid out on the floor or hooked on easels. With large blots of finger paint in the primary colors, swirled around and around all the way to the edge of the paper, most paintings had at least one handprint or flower or stick person in the swirls.

I will never forget the cafeteria or lunch-room with those heavy plastic rectangle food trays with molded separators inside so as to have a separate space for meat, mashed potatoes/gravy, carrots/peas, apple or blueberry crunch, half pint of white or chocolate milk in a waxed carton, that you had to open on one end to drink from, and the tray also had a molded in slot for a metal fork and spoon and paper napkin.

When I went to elementary school, they wouldn’t think of serving, pizza, tater tots, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, french fries, or (gasp!) soda-pop. Lunch had to be a well rounded with the 4 food groups, and cooked at the school everyday. Or, you could bring a home-made lunch, including 5¢ for a carton of milk, a peanut butter n’ jelly sandwich, cut up fresh veggies, and a couple of homemade peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies, carried in either a paper bag, or metal lunch pail with a matching thermos, (banned nationally in 1980), that had pictures printed all over them of/either/or: Mighty Mouse, Long Ranger, Gilligan’s Island, Jetson’s, Star Trek, Archies, Banana Splits, Tinkerbelle, Zorro, Beanie and Cecil, Yogi Bear, Bozo, Flipper and G. I. Joe, and the still popular Batman and Robin, Winnie the Pooh, Superman and Barbie etc…

To be continued:

CU