How True

Heard this quote on a movie tonight:
"A mother is only as happy as her saddest child."
And on the other hand.....

About Moving to Alaska

NO! When I retire I may go up and spend months at a time but I have no plans to actually move up there although I love Alaska and enjoy visiting there (it is not really Alaska that I love but all my family there). I have a son and his family here and also my parents and siblings. When I was growing up we moved frequently . . . so frequently that I never had what I considered to be a hometown. I have now lived in Monticello for 39 years and it is home. My Keith is buried here, my friends are here, I am quite content here. So the answer is no, although I still hold out hope every day that they will move back here or at least somewhere in driving distance.

Link This

This link was in a very interesting blog that I read daily. It is a very inspiring story. How appropriate that today's verse on my blog page was this:


Today's Verse
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

Time to Go Home

These solemn faces look like what my heart felt like.

Snow Hauling

On the parking lots, the snow is pushed up into big piles. Then dump trucks come and haul it away. Almost every parking lot has a pile of snow.

After the Wind

After snowing somewhere over eight inches, on Saturday and Sunday the wind began to blow. Now I am not talking about a soothing little breeze but a pre-tornado wind in Arkansas would compare. It blew snow that took my breath and stung my bare face.

Driving down the road looked a lot like a good fog had settled in. Excuse the picture quality but most were taken thru the car windows because when we ventured from the car we were bundled up and hunkered down against the wind. I have never wanted to walk fast on a snow covered parking lot so badly but it was slicked over from the wind.

The beautiful snow in the spruce trees was gone. The ice laden branches which glistened in the sun were gone. Maybe if I had stood outside a bit some of my short, fluffy self would have blown away. But it was much too cold to think of weight loss.

Alaska Road Signs

While driving down the road, I yelled, "Stop, back up!" I just had to get some pictures of what I had seen. The road signs warned of an aircraft crossing and looking to my right and my left, I saw a snow covered airstrip clearing. Absolutely amazing! Right in the middle of a neighborhood on a lake!

Two Days of Steady Snow

The Twelve Weeks of Christmas

Tonight I started packing up the Christmas decorations and took down the tree. Once again I am so late taking down that I feel like I celebrated the twelve weeks of Christmas. I seriously considered leaving it all out and make it the twelve months of Christmas.

Snow Machine Riding

The Friday after Christmas, Dave and Laura invited us all out to their house on the lake to go snow machining. Now I suppose this is comparable to riding four wheelers in south Arkansas ...... in a very loose way. I was somewhat nervous about flying over the snow at 30 to 40 miles per hour in weather well below the freezing mark. So I started pulling clothes out of my suitcase to "layer up". The resulting fashion attire can be viewed a little further below.

This is the lake behind Dave and Laura's house. I assumed we would take very short turns riding on the lake, cut a few do-nuts and then go back inside by the nice warm fire and hibernate for a while. But Dave had other plans.

I got all layered up, five layers on top and three on bottom. Like I said my suitcase was cleaned out for this outing. In addition to my own clothes, I borrowed Kristy's nice thick mittens and wool socks, Dave's Carhart overalls and Mike's lace up boots. Needless to stay I walked very stiffly because there were almost too many layers to allow me to bend my knees. Not to mention boots that were a bit too long for my feet.

That is Dave standing behind the snow machine, Carhartless. What a compassionate, giving soul! I don't know about him but the only part of me that got cold on the ride was the exposed part of my face. And for about half of the ride my face was plastered to his back.

We're off onto the lake. I may not can walk on water but I can now say I have snow machined on water! What an awesome thing for me to experience getting to see a lake completely frozen over. I have successfully avoided such extreme cold until now. But I must say that it is an experience I will never forget.

Mike started out in the lead but when we got onto the lake, Dave overtook him and led the way down the lake until we came to a path into the woods. The adventure began in earnest. The woods were beautiful with the snow draped limbs hanging over the path. One thing I noticed was that unlike riding four wheelers thru the woods, there were no spider webs in my face. I was so thankful not to have to worry about where the spiders were.

We bounced and swerved down the path until we came to a snow bank between us and the road which we needed to get on. Dave yelled hang on and up we went and just as quickly down we came on the same side of the snow bank. Of course, our unintended descent kicked up a little bitty avalanche of snow which landed smack dab in my face and down my collar. What a shock! At least we were still seated on the snow machine. God is good!

Then to my dismay, Dave said "You will have to walk thru the snow bank and I will try to drive the machine over." I was thinking, "Yeah right" but also did not want to go airborn on that thing. So Mike gallantly walked me out a path thru the bank .... or so he thought. When I attempted to go thru it, each step I took only packed the snow down where I was standing. After what seemed like three hours, but I know was only a few minutes, Mike and Dave managed to push and pull me to the other side. I am glad no one had a camera! Remember all those warm clothes? Try walking thru a snow bank when you can barely pick up your feet! And I never knew you could break a sweat in sub zero weather.

Dave then took off over the snow bank. The snow machine made it over. Dave did not. He landed in the snow, jumped up and whooped, we loaded up and finished the ride with no further mishaps. What an awesome adventure for me!

Christmas Eve in Wasilla

Christmas Eve morning was a bright sunshiny morning. The sun rose over the mountains overlooking the backyard.

The snow and ice in the trees sparkled in the sun.

View from the deck overlooking the front yard and driveway.

Kristy scraping the ice for a trip to Wal Mart. Yes, there is a Wal Mart in Wasilla!

Mike shoveling the fresh snow from the driveway.

Let me try that!

That grimace on my face is the "I'm trying to smile with a frozen face" look.

The snow plows have been at work.

Street signs are hard to read because the snow plows throw snow on them.

These red barns made a beautiful contrast against the whiteness of the snow.

Looking across the Wal Mart parking lot. Unlike Arkansas snow this was not slick.

Abby's school with a covering of snow during break.

Clouds hovering below the mountain tops. Absolutely awesome.

What is Christmas without some moose lights?

My First Winter Day in Wasilla

My first day in Alaska was the shortest day of the year. I am sooooo not a morning person and have seen very few sunrises in my life but for the nine days I was there I saw the sun rise every day. At around 10:00 in the morning. And it was dark by about 4:00 in the afternoon. By 7:00 I was sleepy and ready for bed (which was 10:00 here in Monticello). I wanted to hibernate all day long. My internal clock is still messed up!

I found out last night that I confused and disappointed some people by my earlier post which mentioned having a white Christmas. That post was intended to tell those who know me that I was Alaska bound for Christmas and was certain of a white Christmas. My apologies for those of you in Monticello who thought that was our weather forecast.

Let me just say that I saw more snow than I have ever seen in my life. What I have seen in Arkansas all added up for my entire life may not add up to what was on the ground. Below are a few pictures so see for yourselves.

The mailboxes on Kristy and Mike's road.

Looking up the drive at their house. No brick houses in Alaska.

From the road.

Notice how pretty the snow is in the trees. That will change later in the week.

The girls swing set in the backyard.

The road across from the house.

My little Alaskans.

Christmas in Wasilla