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
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