Making Up for Not Posting!

Hi, again....and even before the year ends....at least for me up here on the far edge of the United States.  I missed part of the races at the gym...dang nabbit!  Either I didn't dress fast enough or didn't walk quickly enough.  I should have walked quickly enough though because I've heard two temperature reports...are you ready for this?  One person said it was a -34 out....another said a -17.  Doesn't matter which one is correct....it's cold....period!

I will plan to get back to the gym tonight for the final games and awards ceremonies.  I was told that the men's game last night was the "rawhide pull" and that tonight will be the "high kick" which I am looking forward to seeing.  There are ladies' games, too...tonight being the "mukluk scramble" (everyone's boots into a pile and you scramble to get your own on and run to a finish line).

In my post about the activities going on here in the village, I forgot to mention the Christmas Feast which is like the Thanksgiving Feast (I missed that one).  I went with Ken and Lisa Stenek (Ken's Facebook page is another one you might want to visit for pictures he posts) and their family of 6.  Ken prepared a delicious kettle of reindeer soup.  Everyone in the community comes to the gym where tables are set up throughout.  During the day, the men of the community cook up caribou meat and add it to a kettle of broth, noodles, tomatoes, and corn on the cob.  Each table has loaves of bread and "pilot bread" (hard round crackers) and peanut butter and jelly and butter.  Rolls are passed around and at the conclusion of the main meal, ladies will come around offering berries and Eskimo ice cream.  Following the clean-up, basketball games are played (first the women, then the men).

If you are able, please check out my Facebook page (Donna Bennett) because I have posted LOTS of pictures on it.  I still haven't totally mastered how to put pictures on here.  Besides, I wouldn't be able to post as many pictures.  My son tells me there's another way to post picture albums online for folks to view. I'll have to figure that one out later.....maybe make it a resolution for 2012.....NOT!  What I MUST do for 2012 is to figure out my income tax situation for both Michigan and Alaska....retirement pension and my Bering Strait School District wages.  NOT looking forward to figuring that all out....

With that, I will now end my postings for December and for 2011.  I wish safe returns to all the teachers throughout Alaska who traveled back to the Lower 48 this holiday season (including my housemate, Lani).  The standard question up here is whether or not they WILL come back!  "I jokes!"  Sort of....I guess in some villages, there have been teachers who did not return after dealing with the harsh conditions.  By the way, "I jokes!" is the common way of saying, "I'm kidding!"  I was waiting for a good chance to use that!
I've heard that our vice principal returned to the village this morning....and promptly became ill.  Sorry, John!  Was it because of the huge drift you had to dig through to get to your house?  You should have waited until Erick returned and had him shovel it out.....a "fun" task for the Florida man!  I'd better quit throwing jabs because I've had to do my share of shoveling already, too.

Now....I'm truly done with this post......HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Love, hugs, and kisses!!  XOXOXOXOX

The Last Day of the Year...2011!

Hmmm....again, where to begin?  Here's the usual statement..."I've been meaning to get to my blog, but....!"  My cousin, Tinker (Tom), sent me an email today to wish me a Happy New Year from back "home" (East Jordan, MI).  They'll see 2012 four hours before I will up here.  There's no snow down there right now which is a bit crazy.  I had to mention again that we had snow for Halloween and it has just accumulated ever since.  It's hard to measure how much snow we actually have because of how the wind blows it all around.  It's a different terrain up here right now than what it was when I first arrived.  The way the drifts have formed and settled in and the way the "roadways" have been carved out from all the snowmobile traffic....there's a lot of "up and down"walking to do.  There is a front-end loader up here that clears out the "main" traffic areas and the airstrip.  When the snow gets packed down from all the snowmobile (snow-go's up here) traffic, it makes it much easier to walk around.  By the way, did I ever report the "new number of steps" it takes from my house to the school since my move?  If it's a good walking day (no wind or deep snow), it takes 630 steps.  Otherwise, it's more like 660 steps.

This week has been a lot of fun.  It's a tradition to have a whole week of games and races....each day.  Each day begins with dog races and yes, I have a story about that.  Allow me to do a "cut and paste" from one of my emails to save some time:

My next blog entry will be titled:  "You'll Just Have to Take My Word for It!" To me, nothing says "Alaska" more than dog mushing and today (Dec. 27)...oh, my...I saw what was to me one of the most beautiful sights I've seen up here.  Today was the beginning of the week-long events here in Shishmaref (yes, I ran in the "Elder Women" foot races...but that's not what this story is about).  It began with the men's dog mushing.  Here's where you will have to take my word for it.... I walked out to the lagoon and on my way, I noticed that Jeff (son of the woman whose house I had been living in.....son of legendary Herbie Nayokpuk..."Shishmaref Cannonball") was about to harness up his dogs.....the dogs living out behind the house I had been living in.  I asked if I could take pictures when he started to harness them.  In the meantime, we chit-chatted about the dogs and the mushing and the fact that he was actually nervous....even though he'd been doing this for years.  He was going to harness 11 dogs.  He had planned on 12 but noticed that one did not eat well earlier today and he wasn't going to take any chances.  He said the dog was the one who barked the most while we were standing there.  The dogs were just so eager to get started.  It's quite a sight.  They went nuts when he started harnessing them.  But.... I took off my gloves to take the pictures and I kid you not....I was able to get only two pictures before my hands were in dire shape from the -20 wind chill.  I could barely get my camera back in the case....they were so incredibly cold.  Pastor Mark ( had come by on his snowmobile to take his mother out to the lagoon.  Right then he came back for me and I told him to please take me home so I could get my sealskin mittens.  So much for my Cabela's gloves!!!  I left my camera at home because there was no way I could take pictures in that wicked cold.  Unreal....!  I would say another lesson learned....I certainly thought I was prepared this time but you just can't believe how vicious the cold is up here.  So....only two pictures and none of the mushers taking off.  (Added note....if you can access my Facebook page, I do have pictures of the Christmas Week activities.  If you can, check out Bessi Sinnok's page, too, because she posted some great pictures....she has dogs that race.) As for the mushers taking off....THAT'S what was so incredibly beautiful.  The mushers all wore fur-lined white parkies.  There were four teams and each had a different number of dogs...from 11 to 16.  They took off in intervals and watching them head off across the lagoon against a snow-covered background with the sun low on the horizon (it was just after noon)....I so wish I could have gotten pictures.  Absolutely breathtaking....and I am here to see it in person.  I am incredibly lucky. Now for the cold....yikes!  After the last musher (Warren with Bessie's dogs) left, Bessie (Warren's wife....Warren is one of the custodians) took me on her sled behind her snowmobile and we went to wait at her house.  We had a nice conversation while we warmed up and I also met another one of the village Elders whom I had seen in church several times.  Bessie teaches the bilingual classes at the school.  Then, using her binoculars, she saw that the mushers were on their way back (14 mile trip)....about an hour and a half....so we got our duds back on and headed out to the lagoon. Ok....that was the "cut and paste" and now for more of the story.... I raced in the "Elder Women" (56-64) category and was pleased when they announced that the race would be in the gym!  The other races during the week (with the exception of the kids' races) were held outside....and let me tell you, it was COLD.  Even though word, COLD, looks cold!  Brrrrr...!!  In my race, I came in second.  I had no idea what was about to happen at the awards ceremony that evening though...this is so awesome!  Kid you not....every single participant gets to be a part of this.  Each group is called up front.  Well, just a minute....to save time, let me do another "cut and paste" from a previous email: Oh, my!  Yesterday was really something else.  BTW, Jeff, with 11 dogs, won the race.  Here's what happens at the awards ceremony: EVERY person who participated in the games went up in front of the table set up for the IRA members.  We came up in separate presentations so this went on for about three hours or so.  When the first three winners in each group comes up, we exchanged gifts with each other.  I received a pair of earrings and a bottle of dish detergent and a package of bobby pins.  Our places were announced and checks (yes, I won $25 for second place) were handed out.  Then we were "pinned" by a member of the opposite sex.  I had Don Webb put my ribbon on me.  Also, if you received a "write-in", that person who got you a gift too large for the plastic bag you are given later on comes up and presents the gift.  I got a bright green sled from one of the teachers!  Then we were each given a bag of goodies (roll of paper towels, roll of toilet paper, can of pop, package of ramen, and a shirt).  Next, we were each given an empty large plastic bag and members of the community came forth from the bleachers to drop in gifts.  I kid you not....LOTS of things were given to each participant...including me!  It's quite a sight to watch all these people come forth with gifts to drop in your bag.  Let's see....I received another bottle of dish soap, a bag of dry milk, a kitchen towel, four different bars of soap and more bobby pins with one of them, a set of twin sheets, a jar of Miracle Whip, a kitchen sponge, a roll of aluminum foil, a pair of ivory earrings, a candy cane, a vegetable peeler, an ink pen, two plastic food containers and a candy cane.  Finally, a special hip-hip-hip hooray cheer is given for each of us.  It was quite a night. When all the awards are given, then games are played.  The women played three games...the same ones we played at the church for the women's Christmas party but with lots more ladies.  We stood in two lines and passed a thimble from one to another via a toothpick in our mouths.  Another one was to blow up a balloon and race down to a chair to sit on and pop the balloon.  The other one was to balance a book on our heads and walk down and around a person sitting at one end of the gym and back to our line.  After each game, we were given a bag of candy and nuts and a can of pop. Then the men played a "feat of strength" game where two men opposed each other.  They sat on the floor in the middle of the gym and locked legs.  Then they locked pinkie fingers and pulled on each other.  Yikes!  It had to be painful!  That went on for quite awhile with different people going up to face off.   It all ended around 12:30 after raffle winners were announced.  This will all take place again each day this week until New Year's Eve.  I've heard they do an "ear pull" game where a loop of string is placed around two men's ears and they then pull against each other.  Hopefully, there will be some Eskimo dancing, too. Back to the moment...you see, there's just so much going on.  I am having a hard time keeping up with everything.  I just looked back and realized that I didn't even write about the Ladies' Christmas party at the church where we played games, had a gift exchange (thanks, Alice, for the nice gifts and the great laughs), and shared snacks.  I also didn't write about the Christmas Eve kids' program at the church where the kids perform and then....this part blew my mind.....the community hands out gifts to all their friends and family.  The Christmas tree in front of the church is literally surrounded with gifts to the point where you can see only the top of the tree!  But that's not all.....the gifts that won't fit around the tree are placed in a side room  to be brought out when the gift-giving begins. Oh, and I didn't write about the school's Christmas program held on Dec. 15.  At the conclusion of the kids'  performances, "elves" hand out gifts mainly from the staff to other staff members and friends.  Santa comes, too, and candy bags are handed out.  The ECE/Head Start kids were so cute onstage with their  antlers, hooves, red noses, and white tails.  What a night! In the past month, there have been babies born and babies baptized....and there have also been funerals in the village.  We even had a little seal meander through the school zone bringing out lots of onlookers.  Someone said that Shishmaref has been called a "dying village" but I don't see that.  It's growing and active and has a lot to offer to those who look "behind the scenes".  I've had the chance to have conversations with Elders and have learned so much.  I'm reminded though that the more you know....the more you realize you don't know.  I could live here for decades and still have so much to learn on how these people have survived for so long.  It's amazing...and again, how lucky I am to be here. Many teachers headed "south" to the Lower 48 to celebrate Christmas with their families and friends.  There were a few teachers left here in the village over Christmas break.  Colleen and I made a couple of wicked-good pizzas and watched "The Wizard of Oz" on television.  I was invited for dinner twice...once to Kate and John's and once to Matt and Gao Min's.  Oh, wait....I had an invitation from the Webbs, too.  I also had sourdough pancakes with Susie and Ben.  You see....there was never a moment where I felt lonely or bored.  That will make my "back home" friend, Diane, feel better.  She's always so concerned that I am by myself.  Diane, you do know better though....I'm doing just fine!   I am so glad that I stayed....so much to see and do....even though I hibernated yesterday because I was simply tuckered out...and I wanted to work on my 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle!  I enjoyed a cheeseburger and onion rings and a vanilla shake from the Snack Shack, too....all the comforts of home. I know I'm forgetting something....some special sight....some special story.  There's just so much going on....sensory overload sometimes.  Yes, it's cold up here....well below zero many days and nights.  The wind is incredibly cold.  One night, I learned a wicked lesson....another cut and paste....and this time, I'm going to keep in the part about my sister, Connie....so she'll be seeing this for the first time.... Alrighty then!  I am NOT sending this to Connie because she makes too much out of what I say and worries way too much.....HA!  However....I just left my classroom after spending the day up there.  I had showered and decided to do some work in my classroom because it's such a chore to get from Point A to Point B....so once I'm there, I want to make the most of it.  So....shortly after 7:00 I decided to head home.  Here's the "rest of the story".... First of all, I'm pulling a light-weight sled whenever I head down towards the school because I also check the mail and packages are arriving for the ECE program....supplies we ordered.  Sure enough....a fairly big one came today.  While I was at school today, Ken (one of our veteran teachers married to a Native villager) was selling more school logo stuff.  I bought some things.  I was glad I had the sled because now I had a few more things to haul back home.  I packed them in a box and put the box on the sled....but it still wasn't very heavy....which concerned me a little bit because I knew it was windy out.  Speaking of wind....I had ordered a shrimp basket from the Snack Shack earlier and Dennis (the person who owns the place and delivered the order) told me that he had an envelope of money slip out of his pocket today and was blown away in the wind.  Now THAT would truly be a bummer.  Anyway...my story.... I walk out of the building and thought, "Oh-oh!  It's even windier than I realized."  Now, that's when I should have gone back inside and put on a few more layers even though I hadn't brought too much with me earlier in the day....first mistake.  But alas!  I didn't do that.  I started trudging in the snow and fell immediately and the box slipped off the sled.  Again, I knew I was in for a "trip" trying to get home.  When I left the house earlier in the day, I had gotten a call from a friend asking me if I saw the drift just down from my house on the roadway I walk on.  I looked out just in time to see a snowmobile having trouble navigating it.  So, of course, when I tried climbing it....I fell on that one, too. My second mistake was not going into the school or one of the other teacher's houses on the other side of the school to put on some more layers.  I thought I could handle it.  My house is like 630 steps from school....660 in difficult snow like this! I walked up the roadway to get to the stretch heading home.  OMG!  The north wind coming in off the Chukchi Sea was incredibly strong and cold.  Visibility was limited, too.  But I trudged on....constantly turning around to be sure my box hadn't blown off the little sled (wish I had a bungee cord).  By the half-way point, my face (nose) was sooooo cold.  I had on a hat and two hoods and my goggles....but my nose was somewhat exposed.  I decided I'd duck into Walter's store to pull out the other things I had to cover my face.  BUT....Walter's story was padlocked shut.  Ok....so I'm half-way home....I can do it....I can do it.  And I did....but oh, gosh....I was a bit unnerved by the whole episode.  Fortunately, the drift in front of my house had been plowed out....until tomorrow! I have to learn to appreciate just how strong the wind up here can be....and how friggin' cold it is!  Not only is this not Kansas anymore, Toto....it ain't Northern Michigan either!  Hello!!  I'm just below the Arctic Circle.....I need to remember that.  How the heck did these folks' ancestors live up here? Back to now....which is a little after 1:00 p.m. on Dec. 31.  I need to bring this to an end.  I want to get layered up and head to school for the remaining races.  Tonight will be the last night of celebration and the New Year begins.  Before I post this (please forgive me because I'm not going to proof it this time for spelling errors....remember....it takes me awhile to get from Point A to Point B up here and I'm running late), I want to add some final thoughts for 2011. First of all, my heart goes out to the Cesaro family in East Jordan upon losing Nona.  Life is so bittersweet...our loved ones make it good...and losing them makes it so sad.  My heart hurts also for the Parish family in losing Jake.  To the Homans, my thoughts are with you as well.  So sad. My heart is happy for Amanda and Kristen for their lovely babies being brought into this world.  I know you will be a good "momma" to your dear babies.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the East Jordan School District, staff, and especially the teachers....come on, folks!  Life is short and people and relationships are so important.  Look hard and long within and ask   yourselves what the heck you are doing to people who have worked so hard for so many.  Simply put..."GIT 'R DONE!" Oh, guess what?  The first week of February I will be in San Antonio, Texas for a school-related conferences.  My son, Dan, will be driving down from Austin to visit me.  I'm trying to get my daughter, Jess, to join us.  I wonder if I'll be able to handle the heat of Texas....ha!  Actually, I'm hoping the weather will be good enough to fly out of here.  By the way, if any of you watch "Flying Wild Alaska", you'll see many of the villages and even some of the people I've seen and met up here...particularly out of Unalakleet.  Flying around up here can be rather....difficult and chancy.  Which also reminds me....IF you are sending packages up here, be sure to tape the ends/sides!  Packages take quite a beating on the way up and understandably so.  The folks have to stand in some wicked, bitter cold loading and unloading planes so packages "move quickly" from the truck to the plane and such....if you get my drift.  And don't believe the post office when they say the package will be delivered by....such and such a date.  They cannot control the weather and the flights up here are dependent on clear skies and runways.  It'll get here...when it gets here.  Anyway.... So...good-bye to 2011....NEVER give up on your dreams....I'm proof-positive of that.  Here I am in rural Alaska making friends I will cherish forever and having experiences I will never forget.  It's still hard to believe I'm here.  And I'm happy!  Bring it on, 2012!      HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my family and friends!

Time Flies....Especially in this Wind!

How do the days and weeks fly by?  The last time I wrote was Nov. 15.  Let's see....since then we had Thanksgiving, a couple of storms, a "big" evaluation in the ECE building, my cat (Dusty) had to be put down and I moved to a different house during one of the storms!

Wind...oh, my!  The winds up here can be...quite strong.  Recently, as I was trying to dump the honey bucket, the loose (and EMPTY) bag in the bucket went flying into the wind.  One can only guess where it ended up!

I didn't make it to the community feast (reindeer stew) on Thanskgiving.  But I did have dinner with some friends earlier in the day (thanks to the Webb family...yummy) and the next day I went to a staff dinner where I did get to try some of the reindeer stew.  Please don't tell the little ones out there.  A teacher friend from Michigan said that some of the kids in school were asking if I could see Santa since I'm so close to the North Pole.  I told her NOT to tell them I've eaten reindeer....they'd be crushed!

The move....I am now living with another teacher...Lani...from Portland, Oregon.  We are currently sitting in our living room...each on a separate couch....enjoying the TELEVISION....in the LIVINGROOM.  Many thanks to Bob (another teacher who lives in the adjoining unit) who helped us out (he let us know the cable was on the wrong plug) and to Matt and his wife, Gao Min.  Matt braved the storm we are having to brush off the satellite dish and other steps to getting the tv up and running.  Life is good!  Oh, and at this house, I have the Internet.  Whoa...life is REALLY good!  We still have a honey bucket though....and the sink water drains into a pail under the sink that has to be dumped out beside the house.....can't have it all.

Oh, the actual move!  Yes, I was moved out of my other house into my current house in the midst of a blizzard.  Thank you, thank you...Erick, Mike and Lisa....yet again (two weekends of moving my stuff)!  The wind....the cold....the snow....whoa!  The "road" was quickly drifting over so the move was made in the knick of time.  Since then, I have nicely settled into my new digs.  At some point, I will post pictures of the scenery from this side of the island.  Our kitchen window looks out over the Chukchi Sea...which is frozen over now.  I'm told the polar bears will come from that direction.

Hey!  We had a musk ox walk around the island a couple weekends ago.  It walked over from the mainland over the frozen lagoon.  I didn't get to see it but it was the buzz of the village.  No one "bagged" it though.....haaaa!  (Inside joke for some of my East Jordan friends...)

By the way, I noticed that Mike and Lisa have their own blog, too, and there are some good pictures posted of Shishmaref.  Here are a couple of blogs from them and another teacher (Colleen) here in Shishmaref:

http://colleeninalaska.blogspot.com/2011/04/adventures.html

http://ontheroadwiththerippers.blogspot.com/

I have posted lots of pictures on my Facebook page, too....if I haven't mentioned that before.  Enjoy and fire away questions you may have.  I love to share my experiences.

If anyone is interested in Native crafts, just let me know....particularly if you would like sealskin mittens or slippers.  I know there will be people who have a hard time with the "fur thing"....and I understand that.  But I also am learning what it means to the folks up here to make a living and to have food to eat.  When a local hunter kills a seal (or other animal), all parts are used...nothing goes to waste.  I have some incredible carved pieces from antlers and whalebones.  The sealskin mittens are warmer than any mittens I've ever had....and up here....it's crucial.  Last night, Gertie was here to show me more of her beadwork and carvings and we had a discussion about the use of animal parts and what it means to the people up here.  It's a way of life...and has been for hundreds of years.  Animals are respected and not hunted for sport....they are hunted out of necessity.  Gertie's handiwork is one way of making a living when jobs up here are not plentiful.  One of the teachers was telling me the other day about being with some students when they came across a local woman gutting out a recently killed seal.  One of the students commented on how gross the smell was.  The lady instructed the child not to be disrespectful to the seal.  Yes, it may have a strong odor but it wasn't to be mocked.  There's a true appreciation up here for wildlife.  

Here's another local task that brings reality to the harshness of this area and how people use what they have.  Now that the lagoon is frozen, people go over to the mainland to a frozen pond to break out huge ice chunks and bring them back to melt in their home storage tanks for fresh water.  I think about that often when I turn on the water around here.  I try not to allow it to run full force now out of the tap.  I wonder what it will be like when I return home for the summer....to my running water and flushing toilet and grocery store right down over the hill.  

Oh, one more thing before I sign off for tonight....speaking of the grocery store.....my sister, Shirley, sent me a "care package" recently and inside was a box of chocolate chip cookie mix.  The price on the box was $2.19.  That same box/brand up here in the store is....$5.85.  I also bought two dozen eggs yesterday for next week's class project of making gingerbread houses.  Two dozen eggs...just over $7.00.

I'm enjoying it here....it's definitely a different experience....one I'll remember forever.  Oh, yes...I forgot to elaborate on my cat's passing.  Dusty was almost 19 years old.  I knew when I left East Jordan back in July that I wouldn't see him again...and I sobbed as I hug him good-bye one last time.  I've loved my cats and other pets and Dusty was our last.  He had developed some silly behaviors...unfortunately due to dehydration.  He would jump into the shower while someone was in it...and stand under the water.  Funny...but sad, too!  Anyway, he took a turn for the worse and Dan and Jess had to make the decision to take him to Dr. Richter to do the humane thing and put him down.  The night before, the kids and I Skyped so I could see Dusty one last time....and I sobbed again.  Dusty is now in Pet Heaven along with all our other cats and pets.

And life goes on.....