Atenas

PLEASE LORD! MAKE IT STOP RAINING ALREADY.. random notes...

HI ALL,

Big Pat and self celebrated our 24th. he took me out to dinner in Tok...and then we browsed around the tourist trap gift shop...ha! Got me a very nice necklace with a red stone (ruby for July)...

And for those who asked about my birthday gifts I am itemizing them so that everybody knows...haha...

Tea tumbler (very nice), gourmet organic trail mix (VERY nice) and gourmet coffee (EXTREMELY nice) ALL from Ali Squires and Jonnie; artwork from Annie, Italian bracelet from May, necklace and some nice Merlot from Big Pat (mmmmmmm...),

devotional book from Pat &Beth (very sweet of them to remember me!), matching necklace and bracelet and summer hat from my MIL Flo....THANKS TO ALL...I really don't expect anything...as you well know...but very thoughtful and sweet of you to remember...

Twice now, brave me has taken a load of young people out to this messy farm in Delta where the owners had agreed to let the kids keep any bunnies they caught.  The old man is married to an Asian woman who hardly speaks a lick of English, she is overly protective of the bunnies which are really in a feral state running around the woods and all over the place. So she followed us about making sure we were not hurting them...very ANNOYING...Armed with fish nets with long handles, cages and lots of fresh lettuce..the kids managed to catch seven bunnies; they are now through letting us have any bunnies.  I don't think they thot we wld catch any...and by the end of it they both got mad and wanted us out of there! GO FIGURE...OH WELL...

But, all that to say, we have a bunny craze on the farm!!!! Lizzie’s first bunny was much too small, dying within 24 hours.  She has a different one now; hopefully, he will live longer. Annie got a lovely little Rex...with a pelt like the Velveteen Rabbit...I call it Roxie -  she calls it something more exotic out of the Middle Earth book she is writing...can't remember what it is...

I think everybody has a bunny who wanted one...kids are great, such a fun time with them, so much energy and Rob in the mix...

Rob and self got some cute Down Syndrome shirts from this online outfit. Here they are if you missed my last post.

And, for those who want to see some information on Andrew Casey and Kylin Warbelow, you should go to:   

http://akcasey.com/

And, for those of us who were invited to the wedding, we should RSVP using the above site. 

This weekend is Olivia Fouse and David Brooks wedding.  Bill Grier and John Jeffreys will be officiating together.  David is from the Haines farm while Olivia is from Whitestone.  My girls and a ton of kids and adults are going...not me...not a wedding person myself...but they shld hv fun...so Pat, self and Rob will have the cabin to ourselves plus almost the whole farm to ourselves...peace and quiet...yaaaiiii...

The Mitchells have returned home – well, sort of.  I think they were going to the Grand Canyon and other places before returning home to Georgia. 

Ben Mehaffey (my BIL) is going to Anchorage for a blacksmithing symposium this weekend.  SJ worked days of last week putting together an updated photo book of his work.  I think this link should work:  http://www.mypublisher.com/?e=OHm3Q8zJl3SnrE-f8JPk9mTWFvzZ6hKD&s=fb

Kelsey Mehaffey, Joe Casey, Ali and Jon Squires are doing online Paramedic stuff...I think...Kel is to start Paramedic school this fall...

SJ's posted her fourth of July pictures on Facebook last week.  Here is a link for those:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=179590&id=674561568&l=dc21992fb5

John Basalyga was here to preach on Sunday.  He went to Sapa on Monday and Tuesday with Rus and Millie.  Now, he has gone home.  He brought Cynthia’s two boys with him.  They came out with John to visit on the weekend.  They are such cute boys!    While John was on this Northern trip, two of his daughters had babies – Trish had a girl and Sharalyn had a boy.  I suppose that Grandpa better get home to greet his new grandchildren!!!

Livy shared last night on her ministry tour with the Arsenaults. A car trip through Alaska, Canada and finally ending up in Florida and attending the Bowen's Mill Youth Camp and Convention.  She put a nice slideshow together and talked, seems like she had a great and uplifting time...not my cup of tea though, listening to the same word ad eternum....but she was in good company.

I think John Jeffries is coming to preach this Sun.

Over the weekend, we had some gorgeous days.  This morning, at 5 am, I woke up to torrents of rain.  It was such an amazing rain that I came outside to look around to see if any damage was being inflicted on anything.  Everything seemed fine. 

IT IS RAINING IN SHEETS AND HAS BEEN FOR DAYS...EVEN ROB WOKE UP LAST NIGHT...THE CREEK IS A RAGING TORRENT AND THE BRIDGE ALMOST COVERED..

good thing Tony's hay is almost all in and a record crop...

Y'all have a great week!

gri et all

4TH. OF JULY EVENTS, ETC....

Hi all – We’ve had such gorgeous 

weather – hot & still; last night we had a small wind that blew the rain clouds right away.  

Tony and the boys started baling hay on Wednesday, which is early for us.  Tony never cuts till after the 4^th of July this year he started earlier due to a good crop of hay.  Everything was going well till a hydraulic hose on the tractor broke last night.  Tony took the hose into NAPA for a custom cut hose.  Hopefully repairs will go easily enough.  




It’s another beautiful day.

It rained all the day and night last weekend before the fourth of July; can you believe that?  It was grey for most of the day on the 4^th, but it didn’t rain.  It was just super soggy!!!!  Around 5 pm, the sun came out.  

We still had our parade, and we had a sumptuous picnic.  We had had lots for visitors; fellowshipping was plentiful.  We had about 5 families from Whitestone, Geyer relatives, Basalyga relatives, Casey relatives, Chris’s girlfriend and family, Wilson’s from Fbks, Chavezes, Marina (who helped Jo with the picnic), and of course, we had all the Squires and Milliron relatives who were mentioned in a previous email.  

Chavezes brought a cotton candy machine which was a BIG hit.  Mitchells brought watermelon.  Jo and her girls, Griselda (me) , May, and Kelsey made all our picnic foods.  Several men (Brad, Seth F, Rich, and others) volunteered to grill the meats.  

I think we made nearly 300 shish-kebobs with beef and all sorts of goodies on them......they were so good! Somebody bought a bunch of corn on the cob which was also put on the grill...Dessert was the famously known Northern Delights ice-cream in three flavors. One of them was coffee flavor and it went fast!  Everything was great.  

Carolyn had games aplenty planned for the children.  Volley ball was a much played game and later on when the ground dried, the men played soft ball. 

May and Annie got to ride horses. May was dressed up in her Middle Earth outfit..or something...and had her Toledan sword strapped to her side. Looked quite the part. Rob had a good time on the wagon riding with all the kids and adults. Pat took pictures and manned the video since I was cooking and was otherwise employed. 


PatLou's presence was sorely missed...he is still fighting fires up in the Yukon area. Not sure when he will be able to come home.

This weekend, we are to have Frank Lopez here to preach and visit. 

Laundry calls, more later, hope you all had a great time too!

MAY'S TRAVELS IN EUROPE 2009/2010

HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO THE PHOTO ALBUMS OF MY OLDEST DAUGHTER MAY'S EUROPEAN TOUR. 


SHE AND A FRIEND, RACHEL TROTTER LEFT IN NOV. '09. FOR DUBLIN. MAY SPENT 3 MONTHS IN BLESSINGTON IRELAND, THEN MET UP WITH MY COUSINS IN THE UK, DORSET AND SOMERSET. STAYED THERE FOR A MONTH.


IN MARCH SHE LEFT FOR SPAIN TO ATTEND THE FAMILY REUNION MY SISTER KARENZA HANSON PUT TOGETHER IN HONOR OF MY STEPMON CHI'S 80TH. BIRTHDAY. MY  SISTER ALEJANDRA BURGESS FR0M MISSOURI AND HER FAMILY ALSO ATTENDED. THEY ALL MET IN SEVILLE, TOURED AROUND CADIZ, MADRID AND TOLEDO. 


KARENZA AND HER FRIEND GRACIA WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN SHOWING MAY AROUND AND MAKING SURE SHE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. AS DID MY COUSINS THE DOLANS AND BAKERS IN THE UK.


KARENZA HAS BEEN LIVING IN SPAIN AND GIBRALTAR FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. I IN 2005 I MADE A SIMILAR TRIP, THOUGH NOT QUITE AS EXTENSIVE, WITH MY OLDEST SON PAT LOU BEFORE HE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS GOOD TO HAVE A CONTACT LIKE KAREN FOR JUST THE RIGHT OCCASION. THANKS A TON KAREN...I OWE YOU ONE SIS!


AFTER SOME OF THE PARTY LEFT TO GO BACK TO THE US AND ARGENTINA, MAY JOINED KARENZA AND HER FRIEND GRACIA IN A SHORT TOUR OF FLORENCE WHICH THEY ALL THOROUGHLY ENJOYED.


THEN MAY RETURNED TO BLESSINGTON IRELAND TO PREPARE FOR HER TRIP BACK HOME TO ALASKA. SHE STAYED IN IRELAND FOR ANOTHER 3 WEEKS UNTIL APRIL OF 2010.


IN ALL, MAY WAS GONE FOR 5 MONTHS. A LOVELY TRIP WHICH SHE WILL NEVER FORGET, SOMETHING ELSE TO PUT INTO HER BOOK OF REMEMBRANCES.


PRAISE THE LORD!


MAY VISITED IRELAND, SWITZERLAND, THE UK, SPAIN AND ITALY.


HERE ARE THE LINKS. JUST CLICK ON THEM AND THEY WILL TAKE YOU TO THE PHOTO ALBUMS. ENJOY! AND THANKS FOR LOOKING...


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=8766&id=100000467082047&l=993091fb79

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16766&id=100000467082047&l=0986a95d81

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16761&id=100000467082047&l=99bbd89042

RAIN, RAIN....

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain….  We’ve had so much rain!  But, it is so beautiful right now at 11 pm.  It was nice last week when we needed to mow the lawns; I’d like it to be beautiful again soon so we can mow again.  

And… I’m so behind in writing to you all that I don’t know where to begin.  Every night, about the time that I get all my work done, my kids come home and want on my computers.  I’m usually tired by then anyway and I say (in my head), “Oh well, maybe tomorrow I’ll have time”.  But, as you can see, I never have time tomorrow. 

Pat has taken me out to the lake to fish twice now. Rob came too of course. The first time they both got nice rainbow trout! Rob's was the largest and we had it for breakfast.

Last night Annie came too and we stayed until 9pm. It was lovely, the lake was quiet and glassy. A soft drizzle threatened to soak us but soon passed and the sun was warm and sparkling on the water. Nothing happened for about 4 hours but I so enjoy just floating on water...we ate some snacks which Robin insisted we take along...I think he felt we might starve! 

Then at about 9pm. the fish started to bite. I lost most of my salmon eggs due to a slight mishap involving an open jar with no lid...oh well...but Pat set me up with a spinner and we started to reel those fishies in. Many got away and spat the hook out but 7 stayed and were part of a scrumptious dinner.

Annie wanted to stay longer now that she was catching something! A lovely family time with the kids, rather unusual for us, one gets so busy...nice to stop and "smell the flowers"...good for the soul. Wish May had come but she had other things she had to do...next time...

John Basalyga is here for I don’t know how long, but I do know that he is preaching tomorrow night. 

On the weekend, Jacob and Christa brought out 4 cousins to visit and to go up to Fish Lake for the weekend.  I never saw them come out, but I suppose that they had fun.  I think the hike was a little overwhelming for them.  J 

Oh yes, Bro George Harris was here last week.  He stayed for a few days and preached on Sunday.  We REALLY enjoyed his visit.  It wasn’t nearly long enough. 

A group of young girls, Rob and some ladies, including myself...went out to New Hope to harvest their copious rhubarb patch. We make all sorts of good things to eat with the stuff. A good time was had by all in the group. Rob, surprised me by sticking with his job pretty well. Here are some pictures.

So, maybe tomorrow, I’ll have time for more news.  I might send a picture of tonight’s sky, taken by Sarah Jep.  The photo was taken at 11:30 pm.  It doesn’t seem too impressive, but it is beautiful because it has stopped raining and because it is nearly midnight and the sun is still shining.   

Have been clicking away at some of our flowers. Everything is looking lovely right now...

This Sunday we are celebrating the 4th. of July. We are expecting about 200 folks. Many have whole families visiting for a couple of weeks to a whole month.  My cook crew is cooking that day and so will be pretty busy.

May has made herself a special costume...she has been busily working away at it. I have not seen it yet. Funny girl! She has bought a number of leatherworking materials and tools...making all sorts of interesting things for herself and others.

Have  a good week everybody!

gri b

THANKYOU KON....by Sarah N Jepsen

Our old and faithful Percheron went to horse heaven....here is a tribute...

"Thank you to Kon who lived for 78 horse years (26 man years).  For 21 years he provided faithful service to the community.  We're grateful even though he was French and Canadian.

Kon (named after Koncarhope, a famous French stallion) died on June 20th, 2010. 

It sure seems like Tony is saying, "Thanks Kon, you've served us well.  Sleep well."

The IEP Raisin Test...and other good reads...

http://carmellamiller.com/category/the-markie-stories/

Learnig From Peers and Demanding the Best

Posted by Carmella Miller on June 21, 2010

When Mark was two, I took a leave from my teaching job to stay home and co-ordinate his speech, physical and occupational therapies. We had hours and hours to practice and he needed that! The following year, when I returned to work, he went to a “regular” daycare instead of the county special education preschool. I had learned that the most precious commodity to help Mark learn was any crowd of non-disabled peers. They spoke well, behaved well, and dragged him all over the playground to learn social rules. And they matched him punch for punch literally. We helped with ideas, but the kids were the best with common sense and  “learn it or you can’t play with us” attitude. Yes, they changed game rules often to help him stay in a game, but most of the time, they kept the standards’ bar as high for him as each other.  We tried to never overprotect him from those real world lessons. His teachers and other parents often thought we were heartless, but we trusted his peers to do the right things. So he learned and learned and learned.

Consequently, against our school districts initial refusal for a full time educational aide for Mark in kindergarten, we sent him proudly and trusted him to do  “regular” kindergarten class alone. He had been in “regular” pre-schools with most of his peers anyway. The year went well, with kinks along the way.  Mark would not tolerate crowding or loud, chaotic noise, such as when the bell rang for recess. In a crowd, he would straighten his arms out and swing them. Unfortunately, some of his classmates would get clubbed in the head at times. This did not go over well with the other parents!  So, we simply informed the children why Mark did that and asked them for solutions. They suggested that at lining up time, everyone would stay a few steps back from Mark.  For our contribution, we took a field trip to Open House Day at Beale Air Force base for a noise desensitization experience.  We had no idea it would prove embarrassing and slightly cruel! Mark sat on Steve’s shoulders and when the jets screamed overhead, Mark screamed onto Steve’s head for half a day. Everyone stared at us. But we stayed until Mark realized sound could not maim him. It worked. Steve, however disagreed.

However, Alleluia, even after a few more kinks, apparently because of a few kinks in his program, the district agreed to hire the instructional aide full time for the first grade to assist with activities in general and modify the lessons when necessary; which was always.

Mark loved school, and learned most of life’s lessons from his peers in “regular” public school.  A friend of mine with a daughter with Down syndrome had said, “ If our kids go to school with friends who don’t talk, or know social rules, how will they learn to have a conversation or do the right things?” She had a point, so we stayed with “regular education.” But behavior was an issue. A few times throughout the school year, our school psychologist would visit with Mark’s class while he went on an errand with the teacher, and the kids could tell her their “Mark stories.” This was an excellent way for the students to cathart; ask questions about Mark and Down syndrome, etc. Once, they all drew pictures of their positive and negative experiences with Mark. The teacher laminated each page and bound it together for us. Mark loved looking in that book. He got the idea that the other kids had opinions about him, what they liked and didn’t like. He truly cared what they thought and that year he began to improve his own impulse controls. Sort of.

As Mark moved through the school system, an educational aide assisted him and the classroom teacher. Mark was more like his peers than different, but in speech and language, rate of cognitive development, learning styles, and some maturity issues, he was different.  We needed a TEACHER and the wonderful classroom teacher could not “do” Mark alone. So Steve and I went to an IEP war and got Mark a one-to-one aide. This person was not to mother Mark, She was to teach him what he needed to know, and I would be on the interview team. It was a no mercy program for Mark. No pity allowed. And I had learned by second grade to be a “bitch mother.” These mothers know school law and are not afraid of school administrators. We bring cookies and cold sodas to IEPs and we never sign the IEP until we get what we know our kids need. We shamelessly blurt out “I don’t care how much it will cost, find the money!”  Because Mark grabbed that raisin at six months old, I knew his spunk and determination would be worth the energy and every cent the school district put into educating him. Even though I behaved very badly as a bitch mother at times; I even screamed profanities at a principal once and got thrown out of his office, (remember that Stan?) we all learned a lot about how to fully include special needs kids into their programs. And we learned and we learned and we learned.

The IEP Raisin Test

Posted by Carmella Miller on June 16, 2010

A child who will have physical or cognitive special needs is entitled to special education.

Their educational needs are determined by a team, who creates a plan called an IEP or Individualized Education Plan. A team of teachers, parents, psychologists, therapists, and school administrators work together to help formulate this plan. The IEP becomes law, and is reviewed yearly, and changed/amended as needed to suit the child’s needs. These meetings can be quite convivial or have highly contentious power struggles between parents and other personnel who disagree about proposed services. This is usually the parents vs. their school district administrators who may or may not have the funds or capabilities to provide the services necessitated by the special needs student, but by law, they must.

Mark’s first IEP occurred when he was about 6 months old. There were excellent Infant Stimulation teachers and therapists available for Mark, but we had to have an IEP to determine precisely which services, and whom Mark might need. He could still barely sit up. We went to the county school for special needs kids and sat with a nurse, psychologist, and school administrator. There, the nurse examined him for reflexes and degree of poor muscle tone, etc., the administrator cooed things like, “Mark is so lucky to have you for parents,” and “God chose you to take care of this special baby…”I wanted to scream and run out of there!

Quite suddenly, the psychologist announced it was time for the” raisin test.” The mood downloaded to somber. A great intensity crept over everyone as the psychologist extracted one tiny raisin from a small box and placed it in on the table in front of Mark. He was in Steve’s lap and I was across the table facing them both. The object was to test for curiosity (intelligence) and fine motor skills.

I knew Mark had never even seen a raisin. I was frantic. I wouldn’t feel this way again until seventeen years later when ouroldest son went to take his SATs for college! But Markie zeroed in on the raisin visually for quite some time while his baby arms stuck straight out and took swipes at the raisin, getting no where close enough to pick it up. It seemed that everyone was holding his or her breath. I was a lousy mother for not teaching my child to pick up a raisin. The suspense and overpowering, quiet was agonizing. No one was oversmiling anymore.

This had become a serious undertaking that would somehow give us an idea about what kind of character Mark possessed at six months old. But determined he was! He made some weird baby noise and slammed his right fist on top of that damn raisin! More seconds crawled past, and then his little fist shot up with the raisin in a perfect pincer grasp. I knew at that moment, that nothing would keep us from progressing. What ever the point of the test was, the result was profound. I would forever encourage and let Mark take his raisin tests, fight his raisin battles, and trust he would find his way.

Bonanza and The Hot Dog Man

 A BLOG BY CARMELLA MILLER ON RAISING A SON WITH DOWN SYNDROME. THIS ONE IS HILARIOUS. READ ON!!

http://carmellamiller.com/2010/06/07/shopping-down-syndrome/

Bonanza and The Hot Dog Man

Posted by Carmella Miller on June 7, 2010

Shopping for groceries with Mark took courage, endurance, and patience a mile thick. Large grocery stores were getting to be just out of the question. He always disappeared. However, he was predictable. It just took time. He could be found behind the meat counter, the restroom, or helping to bag groceries. But once, I found him riding in someone else’s cart!   After convincing him to come with me, as if I was the stranger, I decided I could not shop like that anymore. The following week we went to the smaller, local Bonanza market. Of course it was more expensive than Albertsons, but my nerves could handle a market with two aisles and nowhere else for Mark to go. No matter how many times he turned a corner in Bonanza, he always bumped into me.

A sweet Chinese couple ran the Bonanza market. Gene was the Bonanza meat butcher as well. He was most helpful in assisting me with Mark. His solution was brilliant. Every time I went in to Bonanza market, Gene would give me the “knowing smile” and ask,” He like hot dog?  He want?” He would be dangling a weenie the size of Mark’s arm and enough to keep him busy for the duration of the time I needed to shop.

We shopped at Bonanza until Mark was much more grown up and would stop in occasionally for emergency items. Even until Mark was in high school, just seeing Mark, Gene would happily charge over to offer Mark a hot dog. I assured Gene we didn’t need the hot dog anymore, but he would be crest fallen. “He want?” he implored of Mark.”  “I want!” assured Mark. And there would be this short high school kid walking around the store eating a hot dog. “He happy,” Gene would say, “He happy now.”

Gene and his family spoke Chinese and/or very broken Chinese/English. Mark was always mesmerized when Gene spoke to us.  Mark had and ear for English, which he nonetheless articulated poorly. He had had speech therapy his entire life. Poor kid could barely make half the sounds in the alphabet, and his rate of speech was so fast it wouldn’t have mattered. Another time, when he was in middle school, we had begun to tease him when we could not understand him; we would say. “Slow down and speak English please.”

Mark loved engaging other people. Once, in Bonanza, Gene had friends visiting. They were speaking rapid Chinese when we got there, and Mark must have felt something twitch inside and he loudly blurted out, “Slow down and speak English please!” They gave me horrified looks. I froze with embarrassment, and did what I always did when Mark did his things like he did. I swallowed my pride and gently tried to explain he had Down syndrome. They looked blank, so I did the really bad thing. I’d point to the side of my head and say he was retarded and didn’t know any better. ”Ahh so!” they mewled with more “knowing smiles.”

When Mark was a baby I swore on his baby blankets I would never sell him out like that, but it felt better to do it then, than to admit I was a crappy racist parent who let my kid insult people of different nationalities. Soon, everyone was smiling and bowing. After hearing Mark’s apology, I think they finally realized what was so funny! His English sounded like it came from Jupiter.