Post Christmas noos....notes from Sara and Gri

Hi all,

We are having some mild weather today (12°) after some below zero weather last week and some mighty winds more recently. 

My kids are off playing basketball at the gym in Dot Lake with Tom Geyer and the other young people.  I am taking advantage of the quiet to write to you. 

We are having a week or so break from school.  I’m looking forward to this time to do some catch up on housework and bookwork. 

Kimberli and Seth took the young people and their own children out caroling on Christmas Eve.  The boys rigged up one of the horse wagons with hay bales and lights.  The caroling was rather uneventful until they were on their way home from ATR and somehow the sleigh tipped over.  Everyone went into the snow. 

 

All this week, the high school girls with Kim, Kimberli, and Garth have been fixing baked goods for a bake sale.  It was a nicely done bake sale with piles of things to buy.  The proceeds are to go for our New Year’s Eve fireworks.  After everyone had bought to their heart’s content, Tommy auctioned off the last of the plates, baskets, and pies.  It wall all pretty fun. I think they got like $600 which is pretty good...we will have some nice fireworks...

Oh, and SethJepsen  had a raffle to sell a pie rack that he’d made in forge class.  Jannis Blohm got it and by the pic u can see she was pretty stoked about it!

All this was followed by some games, and, eventually, we got to the square dancing.  Tom and Carolyn are the square dancing teachers with some expert help from Bro Rus. 

Stephen arrives on Monday with his fiancee. 

Rus and Millie have gone to Anchorage for the weekend. 

Bethany C has gone home to see her mom and brothers over the holidays.  Kenny is in Iraq installing generators.  He works something like four months and then comes home for one month.

May has been in touch off and on, having a good time with the Blessington bunch. She and her aunt Karenza from Gibraltar are making plans for the family reunion this coming March...May is pretty excited about it, since she will meet family members she has never seen before, from Argentina and of course her aunt Karenza whom she has never met...

Relaxing days at home, a change from the regular rat race...will be giving Rob some school though, too many out of the classroom is not good for him. He is having a good time, riding the horse wagon and hanging out in the Tab with friends or just with his brother on the xbox....

Have a great weekend.  Take care, 

A BLESSED AND PEACEFUL SEASON TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS NEAR AND FAR...

DEC. NOOS SO FAR...

I just ran out to do some errands and encountered a wild flurry of small snow flakes swirling wildly down from the sky.  So far, it isn’t too much snow, but who knows what could happen during the night.  Last week, we did have a couple of days of -25° weather.

Bro Bill Grier came out to preach yesterday.  He was ministered on many things, but I think his point was that we need each and the Lord to be a “whole” person. 

Miss JoAn flies out tomorrow for Anchorage to visit some of her children in that area.  Bethany leaves Wednesday morning to visit her mom and brothers in Kansas.

Monday night has become basket ball night.  Tommy or Jarred take as many kids as they can to Dot Lake to play basket ball in their gym.  My kids really enjoy that.  They have just come home and are pretty wild from having had a couple of good games.

Paul and Jenee Basalyga with their children have moved to Whitestone sometime recently.  Since being over there, we don’t see them as often as we did when they lived in Delta.  They came out yesterday for the afternoon and supper.

Bonnie left today to fly home. They are confirmed to move here, Jim will stay and keep working with the guys. Bonnie has to tie up ends and get her aged relative sorted out as far as getting a place for her over here. They plan to move into the old Milliron cabin, which has a set up for an older person downstairs since M had their aged father with them for a while....

I saw on the facebook posts that Stephen proposed to his girlfriend, Melissa, and she accepted!  So, Stephen is engaged.  They will be coming to visit us later this month.

Oh yeah, this reminds me, Ben Persinger pulled a fast one and married a nice girl over Thanksgiving weekend. 

The last couple of Friday nights, we’ve cut up our butchered beef cows.  I’m not complaining about the beef, I just hate cutting meat alllll the time (meat is not my thing, as most of you know). 

Thursday night, Jepsens took some kids along with Aunt Jeni and Miss Jannis to see the Delta Community Choir sing on the Ft Greely base.  Becky Riche is the pianist and at the last minute had to be the director too.  Jepsens oldest Chris, his girlfriend, her sister, and her mom were also in the choir.  Rachel Lupo (the girlfriend’s sister) sang a really nice solo.  A picture can be seen here:  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3094673&l=3ccb0c03e2&id=674561568

On Saturday night, Jepsen kids went to Fbks to spend the day with the Lupos.  Sat. we had dinner with Jeps and the Trotskeys. Great meal made by Sarah....made an increadible salsa with mangoes and roasted caribou...which tasted amazingly good (for caribou! haha).

I better save some chattering for another day.  It is presently -5° and snowing.  Have a nice week.  gri b

Here's May in front of Trinity College in Dublin with Jon & Sarah Richie

noos...

Hi,

How is everyone?   Hopefully, you’re having as mild of winter weather as we are enjoying.  We’ve been having 15 to 18° daily.  I guess Canby, CA, was having some below zero weather.  Poor souls.  J

I did want to say that I mentioned in my last email that May Buongiorne was staying in Ireland for six months.  Well, it really is for three months due to immigration regulations.  If something changes, she might like to stay longer, but at this point it is not possible. 

She is planning to go to Spain for a short visit to join a family reunion with my sisters, her aunts, uncles from the US as well as from Argentina. May has not met her family from Arg. and neither has she met my oldest sister K...also my step mom who is gonna be 80 is coming to celebrate... Karenza lives in Gibraltar caring for an elderly Alzheimer's woman, her job is pretty much 24/7 so I know this reunion with all the Hanson siblings (well not me this time) is gonna be a treat. Hope May can make it, she has to be out of Ireland by Feb. 2 so that will be good, then when she comes back into Ireland after Spain she can probably stay another 3 months...although she reports that she is homesick for Alaska...my kids...go figure...such ALASKAN...ahaha!

Pat made it safely home from his piano tuning trip to Barrow, AK.  

Bro Bob Hilliker is in Phoenix, AZ, getting a new prosthesis from Hanger Prosthetics.  These people work for the military vets who come home from Iraq and Afghanistan.  The lady who is helping Bob was able to give him a really good deal.  He should have had his fitting last Friday.  Also, while in Phoenix, Bro Bob is able to visit one of his daughters. 

Sarah's  2010 calendars are out and I ordered plenty this year so I wouldn’t have to reorder.  If you didn’t place your order earlier, you can still do so.  If you want to re-look at the photos, here is a link to view them again.  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=119949&id=674561568&l=b4be62889a  or

http://www.bysarahj.com/Photo_Calendar_2010_g140.html

Bro Wayne and Sis Ann Gentry paid us a surprise visit yesterday.  It was sure good to see them.  Bro Wayne preached on the knowing the will of God. 

Jarred and Jennifer are leaving tomorrow to spend some time in Arizona with Jarred’s brothers and in New York to spend time with Jennifer’s family.  They will be gone for six weeks.

Garth had a problem with his heart last week.  We were all on pins and needles wondering what was going on till the Dr was able to check him out.  Garth was doing his work out and noticed that his heart monitor was doing strange things.  After getting his blood pressure checked and seeing Dr. A, he was sent on into a cardiologist in Fbks.  The cardiologist actually had an opening for him, usually one has to wait months for an appointment.  They said his heart was in atrial fibulation; he was put on cumadon.  They will watch him for a month, hoping that the cumadon will straighten him out so they won’t have to do anything further.  (I’m sure I’m not spelling some of these words correctly – hope you can figure this all out)

John Venebles dropped in to see us twice this week - on his way to and from Whitestone to see his relatives. 

The kids have been working diligently on the hockey rink.  Yesterday and last night, ALL the kids were out on the rink skating till they dropped.  The Lupo girls came out after supper to skate with us also.  (Again, my house, never dull.)

A crew from the sawmill (Thomas, Brad, Bill, Tommy, & Jon) have gone to Soldotna for 3 or 4 days to build a cabin for one of their customers.  Their pellet making operation, when they’re home, seems to be productive and running smoothly.

Jim and Bonnie Mason from Dallas and then from Ava, now from The Land...have officially announced that they will be moving here....a cabin has to be made ready for them and so they are working on that. Nice to have our own cosmetologist in situ...

Here's Rob with his Polar Bear project that he has been working on for the past week. He typed his sentences (with some parental prompting) and the other one looking ever so dapper is a pic. that was taken at Thanksgiving 09....

Ok, I wrote this yesterday.  This morning, it is -5°.  Have a great week!  

Rob enjoys these projects...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42NrJFNvSLE

JUST NOOS.......

From Sara's.......

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Sorry, again, that it has been so long.  I’ve been home from California for a week now.  Since coming home, we’ve had Parent-teacher conferences, Thanksgiving with food and guests (and for me, pictures), a long weekend of catching up, and now back to school.

 

One purpose of going to California was to take Jon Leo Irish home to his mother (and to see my parents).  Jon was happy to be home.  I was home two days before Kevin Jepsen from Montana moved in with us.  Our house has very few dull moments!

 

Toby and Flori came to stay with us during the Thanksgiving weekend, the weekend that passed along much too quickly.

 

Other Thanksgiving guests were Toby and Marie Williams, Rachel Keller, Amaris Rodriguez, Angela Macias, Lewis Wilkerson with girlfriend, Hannah Gomez, Marki and Sam and Adam Geyer, Erica, and maybe some others?

 

As usual, the highschool with Bro Andy cooked us a delicious Thanksgiving meal.  Hannah Mason helped her father this year.

 

We had a small amount of snow last weekend, and then yesterday a wind whipped up blowing most of the snow into huge drifts everywhere.   Today we are enjoying a slight breeze and 16°.

 

Rachel Trotter came home from her Ireland trip on the day before Thanksgiving.  She had a great time over there, and she barely wanted to come home.  Rachel did help May Buongiorne with her initial “Ireland shock”, but now May is doing well.  May will stay over there for five more months. 

 

Patrick Buongiorne left Monday morning for a week of piano tuning in Barrow, AK.

 

The throw-upy version of the flu keeps going around, hitting a new person like every two days.  It’s taking its sweet time to make its rounds!

 

Amanda Nerbonne had her wisdom teeth taken out at the early age of 12 yrs due to her very small mouth.  She has been looking rather chipmunkish lately.

 

This weekend, Ben will go to the Woodway in Fbks for an open house.  He sells a lot of metal wood implements there.  Once a year, the Woodway likes to let their vendors and customers meet each other.

 

Bonnie Mason is visiting for a few days.  Jim has been up here for awhile working in Delta for his brother in law.  Someday, Jim and Bonnie will move here. Which will be great for the Williams family...nothing nicer than having grama and grampa close by...

 

Have a good week, I’ll try to write again soon.  Sarah>>

 

 

 

SUPER SUBS FOR SUNDAY DINNER AND OTHER INTERESTING TRIVIA....

Hi Folks,


Hope you all survived the over eating of the past festivities...we did very well thankyou!!
After 4 days break, life returns to normal I'm afraid....


Sunday was my community cook day. Our usual crew had 2 new additions because of schedule issues and we ended up with Kathryn Nerbonne and Ali Squires taking the place of Jo Cox and her daughter Bradie, they were in Fairbanks, visiting a convalescent mother/gamma Lolly...but that is another story.

We had super subs with all the fixings...they were about 3 feet long per table and had turkey, ham, swiss cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and dressing. The french bread was rather tricky to make and I think it could not be any longer because of the width of our ovens, which are already industrial size. One wonders how people make those 5 footers or more than one reads about...special ovens no doubt!


Anyhow, I usually dread my cook day 'cause this body is getting older and standing on my feet for about 4-5 hours is not something I particularly relish. However, our crew boss (Ali) is amazingly organized and energetic, despite, I might add, her own personal physical trials which she weathers with incredible fortitude...but this is also another story...haha!!


The young girls, Katherine, Olivia and my niece Kelsey were also great at just keeping everything in the flow and on the go...I mainly took care of dishes and tables...no brainer jobs is what I specialize in...!!

Oh, lest I forget, we had the able hands of a young brother, Joey Casey. I think he was at a loss as to what to do with himself for the rest of the wintry Sun. afternoon so he popped into the kitchen (where all the ACTION IS OF COURSE...and...err..oh yes!... the young ladies :D  ) and helped us stack the subs and did other various and sundry jobs...very helpful and fun to have around...

Dessert had been previously prepared by Ali (of course) earlier in the week. Frozen orange yogurt with added cream cheese and drizzled with chocolate. A dab of cream whip on top and voila...a dessert fit for a king...I posted some pics on FB...


OK...so the meal went very well and I for one was thankful that the day ended on a good note...and was happy to put my feet up for a while...at home...actually I put my feet into an Epson salt foot bath...mmmm...nice...


Not much noose otherwise. Big Pat has gone off to Barrow (home of the Polar Bear...) to tune pianos for the strange people who live up there. Little Pat is pining to come home and has had enough of the UK, I fear....don't know what we'll do with him once he gets home, he can get rather restless...needs to find himself a satisfying job to keep him occupied for the rest of the winter. May is doing great is Ireland and I hear reports that they don't want to let her go...well, whatever the Lord wants...we all miss her but want her to find her own way and seek God's will for her own life....


Rob's doing great is school...has not gotten sick even tho kids and adults all around him are getting the nasty stomach bug left and right...he is one tough kid...give him some Colloid every am and keep his meds and vits up...so that shld help. Annie was sick for 3 days then went out and got sick for another 2....my spanish class is kinda spotty but I thnk we're gonna be OK...


Talking about Spanish, we are watching "Evita" and the kids are really enjoying it. I got the sheet music to "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"...and Annie and Kathryn who are our best piano players are looking into it...it was all the rave years ago...brought some memories from my home country back, just watching the movie. "Course Madonna, does Eva Peron great justice, although she is kind of a nasty person herself, but I gotta hand it to her, she did look very much like her and got the mannerisms incredibly accurately...I got into a site online and found a kind of study guide to the movie so my students can follow it and also interesting trivia and facts about how the movie was made.  Much of it was filmed in Romania it seems as well as Buenos Aires. Also Madonna had to get special training vocal lessons to be able to hit some of the high notes and soften her rockstar singing voice....I had no idea that someone as famous as Andrew Lloyd Weber (Phantom of the Opera) had composed the music, seems Madonna (who is not particularly liked in Argentina because of her porno persona) convinced the current president at the time to let her use the balcony to the Casa Rosada ( = to the White House for the US) she put on an impromptu show of her title song and they were convinced...lots of trivial but interesting stuff...


Well....gone on for long enough. Enjoying the mild in the low upper degrees....nice weather...17's...


Hope u all enjoy the rest of yr week...


gri

DRY CREEK THANKSGIVING 2009

Hello Folks,
Well we geared up for Thanksgiving and now it came and went!!!

A wonderful spread, as per usual, was set out for the enjoyment of all and sundry. Andy Trotter with about a dozen high school students put it all together, this time since Rachel Trotter was still in Dublin, her sister Hannah (Mason) helped her Dad out.
An interesting piece of trivia: How many years has Andy been putting this feast together for us?
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Answer:
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almost 30 years!!! THAT IS ALOT OF GENERATIONS OF KIDS THAT HV HELPED HIM...YOU DO THE MATH....


Amazing to see ones own kids growing up to be helping in this endeavor. I think 8th. grade is the youngest who get involved....


I guess, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a string of major happenings in our community. Then comes Convention (always a major thing for us), Christmas and New Year and then Open House in April marks the end of the school year more or less....


We've been off for 4 days if one counts the week end, kinda nice to catch up on sleep, reading and housework...well, not housework, not really,...hahaha...queen of the housework I am certainly NOT...just a necessary evil, as they say.

The kids put together like 20 pies, 2 varieties of pumpkin, apple, PECAN, and cheese cake (New York style I think)....turkey, Alaska cranberry relish (very good!), canned cranberry, corn, yams, and yam pie with the dreaded marshmallows on top that the Brits DO NOT LIKE....and neither do I for that matter, but you can always scrape them off. THERE WERE PLAIN YAMS THAT WITH A LITTLE BUTTER WERE HEAVENLY!!
......straight out of their foil wrappings....reminded me of when my Dad used to sit with us as kids in our home in Argentina and we roasted sweet potatoes in the fireplace....memories...

The Mexican touch of "asado" was missing...Luie Chavez and his family did not come. Actually there were a few families who were either missing or went AWOL, don't know why, but still we were about 100 folks I guess...


Ice cream was served of course and coffee.


Carolyn Geyer and a multitude of little people made cute center pieces and cones dipped in chocolate and filled with candy for the tables and napkin rings in he shape of turkeys etc....very nice...lots of time consuming stuff....but that is her cup of tea, so don't feel sorry for her....

Little kids (pre k and k) sang some appropriate turkey songs all dressed up in their brown-bag turkey outfits, most of the singing was done by their teacher, but it was funny to see them suddenly struck dumb and just being cute....they do the funniest things when they are that young, like stick out their tongues, make faces, or squat and not budge from that position, or just smile and wave unabashedly at familiar faces in the audience (like at their doting parents for example)...some of them jump up and down and yell......quite funny.

The  big kids put on their number, very nicely sung and one of the pieces even composed and performed on the piano by our own  budding composer Kathryn Nerbonne....


Rob had a blast as usual. He loves visiting and shaking hands with everybody. Multitudes of people are his cup of tea (not his mother's I'm afraid), but he thrives on this...the more the merrier, with him!!!


He had told me he did not want to go up to sing with the choir. He has been singing in music class with the middle school group since the beginning of the school year. But just before the meal he announced that he was not gonna go up...OK, I said, fine whatever you decide...no pressure.

Well, when our music director called out for the kids to come up, he just hopped up there...sooo funny. I never know what he is gonna do...so was ready to yank him back if anything unforeseen happened...but he behaved like a little man...all dressed up in his 3 pc. suit. His voice his changing so he does not want to sing too loud, but I could see his mouth moving and he got the hand actions right...so I thot he did quite well. Then when it was finished he just came back and sat down at his seat like Mr . Cool Cucumber....what a ham!


Well, it is getting time to shut this down.


Just as an aside, I am cooking community dinner tomorrow, not one of my favorite things to do...cooking for so many leaves one rather worse for wear...hopefully all goes well. I think we are making Greek Jyros...which are basically a round layered sandwich with all sorts of goodies inside, they are served on a platter and cut into wedges....messy...but good...iced tea, and frozen orange yogurt dessert...pasta salad and, and, ....ahhh...can't remember.


Pat is leaving for his yearly piano trip to Barrow...the home of the Polar Bear...hope he does not meet one!


Pat Lou called today and it sounds like he is pining to come home. May also called yesterday and  is having a great time in Ireland, sounds like she has made herself quite at home and will survive nicely without Rachel who has been her sidekick for ever . Rachel came back for Thanksgiving...


Seems May was asked to perform one of her solos that she sang for us here for a past  thanksgiving. I found the sheet music and faxed it to her, then she found a girl who was visiting who accompanied her on the piano. Glad she was able to do that. She had been studying voice performance with JoAn for most of her junior and high school and now does not get as much opportunity since she is out of school...


Bye now and have a good week end...

Gri

"If people were meant to pop out bed we'd all sleep in toasters."  By Garfield (who else?...)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=527095&l=bce114a923&id=1585591801

Rob's been counting down the days until Pat and May return from Europe...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U2JfMmxZ1A

"Retard"?...

FROM ANOTHER BLOGGER...."WORDS"

THIS TAKEN FROM "THE GARDEN OF EAGEN"...

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=182687437830

KUDDOS FOR KEYBOARD TOWN PALS!!

Hello Donna and the KBTP family,

What a wonderful little piece of software! My Down Syndrome son who is 12 immediately was taken by the warm and charming characters (rather reminiscent of Sesame,  so familiar to him, in a way) and wanted to sit down and watch the whole thing through.

Once that was done he had no problem following directions (with me by his side as a prompter) and was able to finish one hand (left) in an hour long session.

I will say that for a Down Syndrome individual or an individual with impaired cognitive and motor ability, it might be a little too fast...I remedied this by pressing the pause button until he was ready for the next piece of info. Not really a problem but something to consider if there is a re-issue for a special needs version.

Also we took an hour on just one hand...which we actually had to break into two sessions because of attention and fatigue issues.

We practiced one hand, watching the sessions over until I felt comfortable with it and then went to the other hand, following the same daily pattern.

Result: IN ABOUT A 10  DAY PERIOD OF TIME, MY DOWN SYNDROME SON HAS LEARNED ALL HIS FINGER POSITIONS WITH 98% ACCURACY. HE CAN NOW TYPE AT 5WPM.

This does not mean that he has the speed but the basic "how to" is there...and I credit KBTP for this.

Now we use another typing program, for the practice, speed and the games. He asks for KBTP almost daily and we now use it as a brush-up program or just for fun...

The interesting thing is that he asks for KBTP almost daily and goes through it at a much faster speed than at the beginning. Also, when he is on the other typing program and just doing his lessons, he tells himself where to put his fingers for each key USING KBTP CHARACTERS...isn't that cool...!

He is writing 10 - 12 sentence paragraphs on subjects that interest him. Writing will probably never be his forte so typing is a wonderful option for him. Once he writes his creative writing he proceeds to type it!

I would like to add that my operating system was not being very cooperative with the KBTP CD version and two wonderful people stayed with me and my trials until we made it work. Thank you Donna and Dan for your patience.!

Now I am waiting for a Mac version of the CD so that my son Robin can keep on using it on his MacBook at school.

Thank you again for a wonderful program!

Keep up the awesome work!

Gri and Robin Buongiorne




Here is Donna Kunz response to my letter...she is the CEO of the company I believe...
>>
Hi,

Thanks so much for the beautiful letter.  But I was not expecting to scroll down and see Robin smiling holding the KTP box. I was really blown away. It is a great picture. 

 

With your permission we will post this letter and picture on our site.  I will let you know when my web designer gets it up. Please ask Robin to type us his own letter and we will post that as well.  How cool is that!

 

Donna
---------------------- and again,
Hi,

Everyone loves your letter and the picture of Robin holding the KTP box and smiling. Thanks so much for putting it on Amazon.  That is really helpful.

We put it up on the website.  Go to Media Page and click on the Articles.  It is the first one. I also saw the blog.  Terrific.  We are going away for Thanksgiving so when we return I am sure your check we be here and I will mail the MAC version.

The best part is that Robin is typing and expressing himself.  If you ever have updates about how he is doing or something that he wrote, please keep us posted. Followup is something teachers appreciate.

Thanks again,

Donna

"

>>

Thankfulness

By Anonymous

Start the day with a thankful attitude. It's in the Bible, Psalm 92:1-2, TLB. "It is good to say thank you to the Lord, to sing praises to the God who is above all gods. Every morning tell him, 'Thank you for Your kindness,' and every evening rejoice in all His faithfulness."
One of the first marks of rejecting God is forgetting to thank him. It's in the Bible, Romans 1:21, TLB. "Yes, they knew about Him all right, but they wouldn't admit it or worship Him or even thank Him for all his daily care. And after awhile they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what He wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused."
Give thanks in every situation. It's in the Bible, I Thessalonians 5:18, NIV. "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
In giving thanks to God; don't forget from where our blessings come. It's in the Bible, Psalms 103: 2, NIV. "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."

Copyright © 2009, Bibleinfo.com

BOTTOM LINE: BE THANKFUL....IT'S IN THE BIBLE...

Famous Quotes Widgets

Famous Quotes Widgets

HI FROM THE LAND OF THE FROZEN CHOSEN...RECENT EVENTS...

Hi Folks

Well our annual cattle run came and went. This time I ventured out myself, clad in my snopants and other cold weather equipment...Robin had been invited by our cowman Tommy G and I wanted to make sure that he wld be safe.

It was really a great experience! Not too cold, and nice enough that I was able to take some pics and clips without freezing my fingers off. It is pretty self explanatory. Annie got to ride a big black horse which I call Black Knight, he does put one in mind of those LOTR Friesians...without the feathers. It was good for her to get the experience and all the young folks did well I think...nobody fell off or was hurt. Thankful for that!

Rob started out at the back of TG's truck and then got to ride Jared's big red sled with some of the younger kids. Eventually he got a ride with Kelly on her snomach. Kelly was very sweet and attentive and made sure Rob was safe (she is one of my Spanish students in 9th grade).

Cows kept wanting to go the opposite way but we got them across the highway, always rather a nail biting experience, where one hopes no semis come tearing down the highway just as we are crossing. All went smoothly....now we are all being treated to the cows bellowing for their calves since they have to be separated and weaned.

A good time was had by all!

Our chickens are starting to lay again...yaaaiii..

Some late visitors are coming and going, but don't know who all they are really....pretty much back to normal winter farm routines and school....

Some folks are out visiting family in the L48 still. ..'course May, Rachel and Pat have all left to visit in the UK and Ireland. May has called a couple times, Pat called once and talked to May who was still here. I missed some of those calls, either in school or in town...

May is keeping busy or being kept busy as the case may be!! haha...mulching gardens, working in he kitchen getting stuff prepared for their yearly convention...Ray says she is rather homesick but I'm sure it will pass. I miss her badly and keep thinking she is gonna come in the backdoor as she usually does, all bundled up from her traipsing around the snow outside, with a cheery : "Hello Mother"....

Glad that she is getting this chance and hope she does and sees as much as poss.

Pat has finally met Beth's family and there are some cute pics of all of them on FB. Wld be nice to meet in person...one of these days.

Big Pat has returned form his Glennallen and Sapa piano trip and all went well. Weather is still holding to a pleasant temp. for Alaska at this time of the year...still not using our real heavy stuff...

Nov. will be a busy therapy week for myself and Rob. We've already had the OT, PT, SLP and of course his new Sped. Margie Grant  who is a reall answer..giving me new ideas and things to do with Rob. Rob is now starting to type with both hands. He is using a great little program I found and which has won several awards. KEYBOARD TOWN PALS...based on a Sesame type character approach. so far so good. He needs speed now and I think this will really start him being more interested in creative writing. Handwriting continues to be laborious for him, but typing is something that will motivate him.

 Hope u all hv a great rest of the week!!

Here a short clip!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yhn-7ctFGI