Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

I can’t believe that November is over! As we enter the final stretch before Christmas, I find myself increasingly busy. Going to Madison, has cut into my time for preparation, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world! I can not wait to see my kids!!

In this entry, I’ll be posting my final gratitude entries for November. There have been some mornings when I’ve drawn a blank when thinking of something to write about. I know my life is full of things to be thankful for, but picking one to elaborate on hasn’t been easy. Writing an entry each day, has made me examine the little - and the big - things I have been blessed with. It’s been good for me to start each day in November thinking about the good in my life. And so…

November 27th - Thanksgiving Day: Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the many blessings in our life - like love and friends and family. It’s a time to reflect upon this sweet life, to blend new memories with the old, and to feel an abundance of gratitude.  On this day and always, I give thanks that you are a part of my life.

November 28th: Today I am thankful for short, efficient lines at the DMV, and service with a smile. I had to renew my license, and chose “Black Friday” to do so - hoping that everyone in the city was shopping and not in line at the DMV! There were only about 6 people waiting and four clerks on duty! I was in and out in 20 minutes - a record! It seemed that wherever I went today (which did not include any shopping), people were in fabulous moods. The ladies who took care of me at the DMV had a smile on their face and acted as if they were thrilled to see me. Likewise the postal clerk who took care of my packages today. Spending a day with those you love, eating good food, and giving thanks for the blessings in your life is good for the soul. I’m glad it carried over to those I did business with today. I hope that people allow this feeling to stay with them for the rest of the year, rather than giving into the stress and anxiety that can sometimes accompany the holiday season. I plan to make a conscious effort to do so.

November 29th: Today I am thankful for modern transportation, which allows us to travel across the country in only a few hours. Without it, visits with family would be few and far between. To think that, in 3 days, I will travel 3300 road miles in less than a day is amazing! A trip like this would have taken more than a month a century ago. I wonder how quickly people will be able to travel in another hundred years? Whatever travel is like in the future, I hope there’s more leg room.

November 30th: Today, I am thankful for comfy slipper socks and a warm robe. It’s chilly in the house, and the floors haven’t warmed up yet. My slipper socks are a chenille-type material with non-skid strips on the bottom. They say ALASKA around the cuffs. Steve bought me two pair last Christmas. I wear them so much, that my big toe is working its way through. But they’re so comfy! My robe is fuzzy and worn, and I’ve had it for about a decade. It has served me well. I think it’s time I replaced both my slipper socks and my robe, as they’re reaching the end of their life expectancy. I hope I can find a robe that I’ll enjoy as much as I have this one.

Although I have ended my month-long project of writing daily gratitude entries, I will still begin each day consciously thinking about - and giving thanks for - the good in my life. Too often, especially at this time of year, we rush around preparing for “the big day” without taking time to appreciate our blessings; especially our non-material blessings.  The love of my family and friends is a priceless gift - a gift I receive every day. May you also feel loved everyday!

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First my November Gratitudes:

November 23rd: Steve and I live on the flight path to the Fort Wainwright airfield. We frequently hear aircraft flying over our house.  And then, there are those moments when the house vibrates with the sound of a C-17 passing over. They fly so low, that I joke that I can see the pilot smiling.  Military sounds don’t disturb me any longer - no matter how loud or how close. When I moved my sons down to Fort Benning GA back in 1993, we lived 1/4 from a multi-purpose range. We’d hear gunfire most days, but tanks would also train there, and we’d hear the big guns. Then there were the middle-of-the-night “gunship” planes which had cannons on board. The first couple of months, they’d wake us all up, because they sounded like they were crashing on our roof. But after awhile, we got used to it and had no problems sleeping through even the loudest training exercise. When I hear aircraft or gunfire, I feel proud that I married a soldier, and that I live in a military community. If I’m standing outside in my yard, I look to the skies and watch them fly over - waving to them, even if they can’t see me. I am thankful that there are people willing to go to work each and every day and do what most of us wouldn’t be able to, let alone want to. Today I am thankful for the “sound of freedom”.

November 24th: Today I am thankful that I live in a small enough city/town that I run into people I know when I’m out running errands.  This morning I saw my friend Darla at Denny’s when Steve and I stopped to have breakfast. It was nice to catch up with her for a few minutes (and talk cameras, since she’s in the market for a new one). Then, at Fred Meyer, Steve ran into a guy who used to work at the mine, and they chatted for a few minutes. As we were leaving, we laughed about the fact that we can’t hardly go anywhere without running into someone we know.  I like that about living here. Growing up in Philadelphia, the odds were pretty slim that you’d run into someone you knew while out and about. The city was crowded and busy and there were many places to shop. When it happened that you did run into an acquaintance, it was a pleasant surprise. The city of Fairbanks has a population of about 32,000. (If you add in borough residents, it swells to about 97,000 - but also encompasses 7444 square miles!) To put that in perspective with Philadelphia, consider that Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia holds 62,000 spectators - almost twice as many as the population of the city of Fairbanks! Even if I don’t run into someone I know personally, I always see familiar faces when I’m out and about. I like that.  A lot. Today I’m thankful to live in a small community.

November 25th: Today, I am grateful for the always beautiful Northern Lights! They made an appearance last night around 10pm, and I stood beneath the sky watching curtains of light wave against the stars. As always, it was a magical experience and not too cold out either, which made it possible to stand out there for 30 minutes enjoying their dance.

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I’ll start with my Gratitude Entries…

November 19th: The sun is shining brightly and touching only the tops of the trees. The trees are covered with frost and snow. Below the sunlight, the trees are gray and white, but at the top, the frost is a pale gold. It’s absolutely stunning! Today I am thankful that, every day, mother nature creates a new painting for me outside my sliding glass doors. I am also thankful for a heated home, as the temperature outside hovers at -22F.

November 20th: Today I am thankful that there is laughter in my life. This morning, Steve and I had a laugh while he made breakfast. Then we watched a short video that a friend linked to - about a cat and a printer, and we both laughed again.  Then Airborne climbed up on the windowsill and stretched out really tall to reach the hanging plant there, but lost her footing and fell. She scared herself and went tearing up the stairs meowing deeply. Again… laughter. It’s a good sound, and it feels good too. Laughter is the best medicine. A day that starts off with laughter is bound to be a good day.

November 21st: Today I am thankful for early morning silence. I almost always get up before Steve does (when he’s not working), and it’s not always due to insomnia. I have always been an early riser. The alone time I have before the rest of the house gets up is precious to me. When my boys were little, I’d set my alarm to give myself an extra 30 minutes in the morning before they got up for school. I’d have a cup of coffee or tea, and read the paper. When they’d come bustling into the kitchen, I could meet them with a smile. When I was working, I’d get up 30 minutes before I had to for the same reason. I found I was more awake and ready to face the day with that extra time to myself in the morning. As I write this, the house is quiet and dark - except for the desk lamp next to me. I can smell the coffee brewing. While savoring a cup, I’ll read the paper - online. (I’m not going out to the paper box in this cold! *grin*) Good morning, world. Today is a new day, and I’m going to make it the best I can.

November 22nd: Today I am thankful for catching up with family. Steve spent quite a bit of time on the phone with his sister, Elaine (who we only get to talk to a couple of times a year). Now he’s on the phone with his half-sister Julie - who he hasn’t talked to in about 18 years! A couple of months ago, we were watching the show “The Locator“, and Steve told me he wished he could find his half sister and brothers - as he hasn’t talked to any of them in almost two decades. So I got to sleuthing on the internet (thank you, Google!) and - armed with a little bit of information about his sister’s career - I found an email address for her! She was out of work recuperating from surgery, and emailed us back yesterday. And as I type this, he is talking to her on the phone! I’m glad they were able to re-connect, and I hope they’ll stay in touch with each other.

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