Back in Anchorage – and exhausted!

Posted on July 25, 2006 by Laura

Hi all!  I’m back in Anchorage after three days of dip netting and camping with Eric, Meggan, the kids, Jon, and Leah from which I flew directly to camp to counsel for a week.  (Go to Meggan and Leah’s blogs for pictures and descriptions – I’m too tired to write about dipnetting – but it was a blast.) So I just got back yesterday, having stayed up until 3:00 am the night before copying the newspaper for camp – which I edited (a job I did not ask for but that’s OK – it was fun other than the 3:00 am copying).  I got back into town at 3:00 – my first flight at 9:00 was cancelled, my 11:00 plane didn’t get back from Dillingham until 12:15 and then the plane wouldn’t start when we were attempting to take off.  So our real flight didn’t leave until 2:00.  Does that sound like camp or what?  However, I did get to fly in a Navajo, which is a nice and fast plane so that made the very bumpy flight shorter at least.   When I got here, my friend Nik from church in Baltimore was here, along with 4 of his friends.  (They’re touring AK for two weeks.)  Eric, Meggan, and Rachel were kind and gracious to pick them up at the airport late Sunday night, give them a place to stay, and feed them breakfast.  So they hung around town until I got here and then we all went out to eat at the Bear Tooth.   They left at 6:30 (to drive to Seward – we’ll see them again on Saturday on their way back through Anchorage) and I went to have a pedicure done with my dear friends Jess and Erin.  It was actually the perfect thing to do after camp because my feet were TRASHED from all the dirt and running around that we did at camp.  I did manage to come down with a killer sore throat so although I promised Meggan a day of servant hood as thanks I just laid around on the couch all day.  Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be feeling better – Meggan says I’d better be since now I owe her two days!   That’s enough rambling for now.  Maybe I’ll post more later.  For now, I’m enjoying not being perky, enthusastic, and excited about everything!

Posted in Alaska, family, friends | Leave a comment

Mt. Marathon

Posted on July 13, 2006 by Laura

For a few laughs, head on over to my sister-in-law’s xanga to see a video of my sister Rachel and I “running” Mt. Marathon!  I WON!!

P.S.  For those of you non-Alaskans out there, Mt. Marathon is a mountain outside of Seward and every 4th of July, they have this crazy race where people run to the top of the mountain and back. Rachel and I were attempting to recreate such a feat!

Posted in Alaska, family | 1 Comment

I arrived, I’m safe,

Posted on July 11, 2006 by Laura

I love my family, and Jonas has gotten so big and so adorable!

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A reminder

Posted on July 10, 2006 by Laura

This is Laura, reminding herself to go find the 3-part NPR series about the development of language when she gets back from her trip. You all could go listen too if you want to! I heard just a bit of it this morning and it sounds pretty fascinating to the linguistics part of my mind!

Posted in linguistics | Leave a comment

Homeward Bound

Posted on July 9, 2006 by Laura

Tomorrow, at 1:03 pm I take off for Chicago and then Anchorage for a 5
week vacation.  I don’t guarantee that I’ll be posting much,
especially since I will be with my two most faithful
readers/commenters!  But I’ll try to post a bit and put some
pictures on every once in a while.

Watch out Noah, Selah, and Jonas (and Adella when you come)!  Auntie Laura is on her way!

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ASP

Posted on July 9, 2006 by Laura

I had a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful weekend with my friends at my
reunion.  We laughed and cried and all three of my friends shared
that they were pregnant – two of them due within just weeks of each
other!  If I wasn’t leaving in 14 hours for Alaska, I’d write more
but let me just say that I am supremely grateful to have spend the
weekend in the company of people who love the Lord with all their heart
and their MINDS and who are seeking to bring about God’s kingdom on
earth – particularly justice and shalom.  Thanks be to God.

Posted in friends | 1 Comment

Off to the Realm of Power

Posted on July 7, 2006 by Laura

In a few hours, I’m leaving for DC to spend the weekend with my dear friends Cara, Christie, and Danielle.  We’re going to the the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the American Studies Program – but what we’re really going for is to see each other!  There are
a few other Fall ’98 Alumni coming so it should be a fun time.   I’m picking up Cara and Christie at the airport and Danielle and her husband are driving in from Gettysburg, PA.

On Saturday morning, they’ve asked me to speak on a panel about education.  The other speakers include:

1.  A private school science teacher who’s been teaching at least 15-20 years longer than me.

2.  The Executive Vice-President of the Council on Christian Colleges and Universities

3.  The Deputy Chief of Staff of US Department of Education

4.  Me, first year teacher (I feel a little under-qualified).

I am supposed to be representing the public school voice – I think I’m probably the only one they could find!  So anyway, it should be pretty interesting to add my “in the trenches” perspective to the USDOE.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

More than anything though, I am looking forward to spending time with my three friends – it will be the first time that we “Apartment 4” roommates have all been together for any extended period of time since we left ASP 7 1/2 years ago.

Posted in friends, school | 2 Comments

Lauren Winner

Posted on July 5, 2006 by Laura

With thanks to Meggan, enjoy this article from Lauren Winner, one of my favorite authors.  If you haven’t read her book: Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity,
then you should (even if you’re married).  It was the first compelling argument that I had ever read or heard about chastity that was anything more than, “Cross your legs and JUST SAY NO!!” (which is not a very compelling argument nor is it very useful).

You’ll get a pretty good synopsis of the book from the article, but read the book too!

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Wanted: A man who needs a wife who:

Posted on June 29, 2006 by Laura

1.  Can clean rotten wood and dirt (and who knows what else) out
of a 1920’s septic tank, without falling in or throwing up (using a
post hole digger, a garden rake, and a shovel).

2.  Is willing to use an outhouse and not take a shower for 3 1/2
days (81 hours but who’s counting?) while the very same septic tank is
being fixed – WITHOUT COMPLAINING!

3.  Can demolish 563 feet of old wood pole and barbed wire fences,
using only a wire cutter, a steel claw hammer, a sledge hammer, and a
heavy metal chain (a chain, that is, which is attached to a backhoe
driven by someone taller than her who can actually hold the clutch in
without standing on it).

4.  Is willing to work until it gets dark (even if that’s 10:00) so that the work gets done.

5.  Can use a 1950s era wringer washer and then hang the wash out
on the line and think it’s fun! (but it would be pushing it to expect
the “think it’s fun” during the winter).

6.  Wears the same clothes four days in a row because “why get
more clothes dirty than you need to?”  (But let me tell you, does
she clean up nicely!)

7.  Likes being called “sweetheart” and “little lady” by all the old ranchers.

8.  Loves mountains, broad valleys, big skies, and sunshine.

9.  Can cook and clean with the best of them after a hard day of work

10.  And if the ranch fails, can go back to work teaching to support the family

Ranchers may perhaps want to apply ASAP as this person will certainly
be snatched up quickly.  Urban men may apply as well, with the
condition that the marriage involve trips to the West where the
aforementioned skills may periodically be put into practice.

*****************************************
OR:

What I did for 6 days in Montana with Dad!  (Pictures to come in a few weeks to prove all my claims, once I get them from Dad!)

Posted in family, just for fun, travel | 1 Comment

Store Wars

Posted on June 29, 2006 by Laura

For all you organic farmer hopeful wanna-be’s out there there, here’s a funny video about eating organic, including Cuke Skywalker, ObiWan Cannoli, Chewbroccoli, and Ham Solo.

Posted in gardening | 1 Comment