Patricia, the Methodists in our immediate family are Terry's family.  Actually, there are four.  Jan has gone through seminary and is an ordained Methodist minister with all of her other pursuits.  She is also an RN and has been head of a hospice group.  She has always been interested in older people (including me!).  Dot and I are the only Congregationalists left.  Tom is ordained in the Evangelical Free church, but he goes to various churches around here, mostly Baptist.  His son James has been going to seminary at Hope College in Holland but with the birth and expenses of the twins, he is going to have to postpone that to get a paying job.  I remind him how my dad got his teaching degree (BS) with correspondence courses and finally on-campus study for one semester.  He got his degree when he was 42 and I saw him graduate from college, unusual at the time.

I got up to a rather cool house this morning - 70 degrees and getting colder.  I knew the thermostat needed new batteries but I couldn't get it apart.  I asked Tom via e-mail and voice to help, but he was asleep.  I finally got the box apart and replaced the batteries and now the furnace is humming along and things are warming up.  I am ready to shower and wash my hair and I didn't want to have a cold bathroom to do my business.  It was only 13 degrees outside, not a good time to have temperature problems.

Mary Ann

I awoke, had my shower and fed the cat. Farrah is noshing down and spewing bits of dry nuggets everywhere while I wait for the coffee to brew. She is the most, outside of one other, messiest cat I've seen! Even her litter is randomly and wantonly thrown.

Now her litter box is an egg shape with lid and steps leading up and out with knobs on them to catch the litter. It's from Amazon and works great to keep litter inside and not on my rug. It wasn't the used litter, just that she is an enthusiastic digger.

I'm going to keep my bits of information limited because not everyone is appreciative of these things as I am. I even take a daily trivia in my email and belong to several groups dabbling in various subjects.

Larry and Bubble, I received a note about the young man in an email, and yes his range is fantastic! I'm also going to look for more of his work and thanks Larry for Googling and giving us the information! I was distracted as he seemed a bit nervous, but if he had recently won, that is to be expected.

Larry, when you have had a week in the minus thirties, then minus 21 for a low is warming! When I read about your temperatures or others with either warmth and blooming plants in March, in the South or great drifts of snow in the North or the multitude of franchises in MaryAnn's Midwest, I am reminded of our differences.

Or even when you are in the afternoon when I've only woke up at six AM, it is amazing to me and reminds me of the great differences between us. We share more with Canada than we do with the other states! It is there when I read about everyone heading to Florida for a weekend or two in the winter. Alaskans go to Hawaii, and it is a standard joke that you will meet just as many neighbors there as here!

MaryAnn, we have always been Episcopalians although my Dad never went to church other than special events. I rarely did either as I tended to work most weekends, but I enjoyed it when I was able to go. The father we have now is very tuned into his flock and into history which is perfect for his congregation.

He flies out to the villages in winter or travels by jet boat in the summer. I especially enjoy it when we have services in the various Native dialects with papers to follow along or when once we had a Communion, voice and songs, in sign language, also with papers for the rest of us to know our direction. One time he spearheaded getting a memorial set up by a central crossroads for an intoxicated Native man attacked and beaten to death by Whites.

Angel, I really enjoyed that young man singing the beautiful song.  What an amazing talent.

Patricia, you have a very understanding priest if he is able to have services in all of those various ways.  Our present minister is a Latino.  As I've mentioned, we have had an upheaval in our church because the previous minister was so bland.  He is a very nice person and Dot and I liked his wife, but we lost a lot of congregation because of him.  We've had some "dynamic" ministers in the past and he just didn't cut the mustard!  Our previous minister was a retired Navy chaplain and this transitional minister was a Navy chaplain too, in fact, that was a bond in their friendship.  The new minister has been successful in getting some former members back and I hope he continues to do so. 

My trip to Alaska was in 2006 and I enjoyed hearing about various customs.  You have elements in Alaska that we in the lower 48 do not have, such as the native tribes.  We do have Native Americans throughout the lower 48, but many of them have been absorbed into the American "way of life".  We do have a few tribes here in Michigan and I think their main occupations are owning and running casinos which are quite profitable.  Since I'm not a gambler, I have not contributed to their wealth in that way,  however, when Jim and I drove to and from North Dakota, we did eat at a couple casinos where the food was inexpensive and good.  My ideas in travel are scenic and we certainly had that in Alaska.  We didn't see Denali, but we were up at the Park; the weather just didn't cooperate.  I like waterfalls and we saw a few as we drove by.  I liked being on the water near Valdez and seeing the glacier ice.  We went to the University museum in Fairbanks, we were in "beautiful downtown Talkeetna".  We rode the train from Anchorage to somewhere between Anchorage and Fairbanks, then were on a bus thereafter.  Our bus driver lived in Fairbanks, so he drove us around some important places in the city.  We stayed at the Wedgewood area where we had three rooms and bath.  I was so impressed with the sizes of the vegetables (cabbages especially) and flowers all of which were immense.  I knew it was because of your longer sunlit days.  I'll have to get out my disk of my trip and take another "trip".  If I didn't have to walk, I'd love to go there again.

I will say that Jim and I took some very nice tours and I loved each of them and they all were different one from another.

We started out at 13 degrees and we're all the way up to 25 or so now.  The sun is shining, so IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

Mary Ann

We got up to 63 degrees yesterday.  I almost <almost> opened my window.  LOL

MaryAnn, our priest, is an activist. One week's service was from a seventeenth-century Anglican prayerbook, and he is always doing things like that. He is known as Father Scott affectionately by many and is also involved in the local council of churches, prison ministry and the homeless, disadvantaged, and those unable or unwilling to care for themselves. As I said, he is an activist and reminds me of the South American priests and nuns of the past.

I understand what you mean, the priest between Father Scott and Reverend Warren, (Who was also an activist but not as much as Scott); was a bit bland and didn't last long either. Warren and Scott have both been here over twenty years, and Reverend Warren died in service here.

I'm glad you enjoyed Alaska, it isn't for everyone. I do love it here.

Joan, I envy you. We are at plus 2.

Patricia, I could have lived in Alaska when I was younger, cold temperatures and all.  I know Tom would have loved it too and he always wanted to live in Michigan's UP which is mostly open land.  The only thing is the jobs aren't there.  He loved to sail until he got Meniere's problem and that is out now.  He used to rent a sailboat, take groups out on it where the group would pay him and he'd either make money or at least come out even.  He was in Seventh Heaven and misses it a lot but knows he can't do it anymore.  He'd take groups up into Canadian waters  in Georgian Bay north of Lake Huron.  I think he took after my dad in that respect because Dad lived in Arizona for a while and hiked the Grand Canyon.  Funny, because my mother was not adventuresome at all. 

Mary Ann

Angel, we are much cooler today.  Still not so cold tho.

Hi everyone.  We have had rain throughout the night and it is to continue until about noon today.  This will be a chilly day for us only getting into the low 50's.  We are planning on going to Sunday School and Church and then will probably go to Ruby Tuesday's to take advantage of their two hamburgers for one price.  They have good hamburgers. Nothing else on the schedule for the rest of the day other than to rest and to watch more college basketball and the end of the Golf Tournament in Florida. Yesterday I was finally able to get the final information I needed for my income taxes and finished them up, filed them, and have gotten acceptance notices from both the Federal and State.  So that is done for another year.  I did watch a lot of basketball and a little of the golf yesterday afternoon.

Sandy, glad you are able to stay in where it is warm.  Having the sun shine always helps on a cold day.  It is chilly here and the dampness makes things seem even chillier. 

Mary Ann, does Jan ever take a moment for herself.  She sounds like a dynamo.  Maybe her trip to California will give her a break from her normal routine.  Nice thing about formal education is that it can be continued in the future when circumstances allow.  I do hope James will be able to complete his work at Hope College in the future but sometimes life interrupts our plans.

Patricia, that sounds like a nice type of litter box for your cat.  We kept our litter box on our screened in back porch for most of the year and then in one of the bathroom or out in our garage when it got cold.  The cat spent the nights on the porch or in the garage. I never get tired of your bits of information and learn a lot from them.  The young  man singing has only a couple of albums and I listened to them yesterday morning.  I am sure the music is also on YouTube.  There are drastic differences in our weather.  It sounds like you have quite a Pastor.  I remember the one we had when we attended the Baptist Church in Anchorage had his own plane and often flew to the small villages as a part of his work. 

Joan, stay warm. 

FlaJean, like you I was really impressed with that young man's singing.  Always nice to see a posting from you here.   

Good Morning from the unseasonably COLD,  but SUNNY,  rocky coast of Maine.   

All is well,  but this cold, blustery weather just keeps me
indoors...    Tomorrow is my day out with Kelly,  so I will
wait for her to pick me up at my front door.   

Hope that everyone is having a good day.   
Sandy

Larry, it is interesting, but Dot and I were talking this morning about the many hats Jan wears.  I know she has degrees in social work, as an RN, an MDiv and she has been a physician’s assistant, all of which require a certain amount of education and training.  She is a workaholic in a way, but she still has found time to knit and quilt, to me forms of relaxation.  Her mother was a librarian and her dad taught History at a local high school.  Her brother is teaching English in Japan (I think) and her sister teaches in a school near Bethel, Alaska.  So now she has a new title â€" Grandma.  Since the kids call her mother Oma and her dad Poppa, I wonder what she will have Terry and herself called.  New grandfather, Tom, is content to be Grandpa. 

When it got to be 8:20 this morning and no Dot, I called her and she had not set her clock ahead.  We did not go to church but we did go to the Cholesterol Pit for hamburgers and conversation.  She said she was going back to bed after we got home.  She had just gotten up when I called.  I had set two clocks last night and tried to set another in the dark and that didn’t work.  This morning I found I had set that clock back on its face so I couldn’t even tell the time an hour off.

Mary Ann

I love the return of Spring, but I dislike the return of Daylight Saving time.  I know I'm in the minority on this issue, so I rarely complain.

It's almost 9:30 here in CA, and I'm way behind already.  I was hoping to check out an Estate Sale this morning, so I'd better get a move on.  Hope you all have a nice Sunday - I'll  be back later.

MaryAnn, two things in common with your family, I have been to Bethel Alaska several times, where we got a bush plane to the remote site I was stationed at in Alaska (Cape Newenham).   And my Mothers name was Oma.  Small world.

I am sure glad I read in here, had no idea this was the time change weekend. 

Hal, the world gets kind of small sometimes, doesn't it?  It is Jan's sister who is teaching in Alaska, actually not in Bethel, where the road ends, but in a small village where she has to take a bush plane to get there.  I think she is the only teacher and I'm not sure how many students she has.  I think the name of the village starts with 'N'.  (I got out my magnifying glass and found there are Napakiak and Napaskiak.  I think it is the former because Napaskiak is across a river}.  Now, Oma is a nickname, given name is Lorraine.  She first wrote it Ama but then Tom started writing my info as AMA so Lorraine changed hers to Oma, same pronunciation.  Life gets complicated, doesn't it?!

I knew only my dad's mother and she was always Grandma.  When any of my friends heard me mention Grandma, they all knew which grandma it was because she visited occasionally from Minnesota and was Grandma to all of them.  I am Aunt Mary Ann (yet) to Tom's friends and Tom will be 60 in July.  My other grandparents died before I was born, even before my folks were married. 

It's a lovely sunny day today, but our temp is about 30 degrees.  I understand we are to have a couple of inches of snow tomorrow.  Two weeks ago I wore a sweater to church and last week was back to my winter coat.  I wore that today when Dot and I went from breakfast.  Brr.

Mary Ann

I never changed any clocks preferring to wait since I had no commitments for today. I have yet to change them. I'm lazy today. It is not that cold, but there is some wind. I typically end up tossing the fleece on the floor during the night, but this morning, I was wrapped up in it like a mummy and didn't want to get up! Farrah came in a couple of times to wander up and around my bed, purring, and I still slept.

She is getting to be a mooch and doesn't seem to gain weight. I did weigh her, still seven pounds. I never thought I would be saying this about a cat, but I don't know where she puts it! In the morning, she is by her dish, calling "Win-Win." A few minutes later, she is on the counter calling out "Win..agg" for tuna that she's recently discovered, then just a small time later, it is by the hall closet where treats are stored, telling me, "Win!" All call sounds are phonetic and urgent. She only eats a small amount total, but she knows what she wants and when she wants it!

Larry, two things Alaskans are known for. We have the highest consumption of ice cream and the most small plane ownership in all the states. Father Scott is an activist and wears many hats. Some folks feel he needs to limit himself to the church, but I don't think he feels he isn't, that this IS the church's business! I'm glad you enjoy my little bits and pieces of trivia.

MaryAnn, Alaskan Natives have always looked after their own, witness the Alaska Land Claims Act that gave them back ownership of their lands and the right to self-government in the seventies. One of the processes they are working on now is getting their youth educated and directing life in the villages.

They are also trying to save the many Native dialects and languages that are disappearing daily. In the nineteenth century, speaking Native languages, following their religion or customs and dancing was discouraged if not forbidden.

In a shameful act, Alaska State Troopers would go into a village, take all the school age children from their parents and put them into church-run boarding schools in the South East where they were forbidden their languages and customs. They had their hair cut, wore White style clothing, their own was burned, along with any ornaments or detailing. They were whipped for speaking other than English or for trying to follow their beliefs or customs.

They were told their lifestyle wasn't Christian and was satanic, to follow their Native ways was a direct path to Hell and burning alive. Imagine telling that to a five year old. There was a lot of sexual abuse which is now being prosecuted, and sadly many deaths from illness and suicide. Then after 18, when they returned to the villages, they no longer fit in and had lost all those years of learning their own ways, their own traditions. There was more alcohol and drug abuse among the returnees than those who were able to remain in the villages. Some Natives, particularly in the South East, are still ashamed of and forbid dancing in their villages.

All of this is some of the reasons why they want to ease out non Native teachers and have local teachers. Some villages discourage Whites altogether, making it difficult to impossible for non Natives to own land or live in or work in the villages. It is also why, in my own opinion, that they consistently vote against any state road system.

My grandparents, both farmers, were both grandma and grandpa, although my paternal grandparents died in the fifties and my maternal grandparents died in the 1976 and in nineteen eighty-eight, respectively.

Alaska had four time zones. They reduced it to two primarily to do more business with Seattle and the rest of the US. One result of that is the sun is directly over ahead at three in the afternoon rather than at noon.

Patricia, I don't know for sure, but I know Jan's family, and I would think her sister would be one who would attempt to learn the Native American/Eskimo traditions and customs.  This is not her first year teaching at the school.

Jan does wear many hats as I've mentioned, but she now has another one, other than the new grandson, as both of her parents have been diagnosed with Alz's.  Both were brilliant people in their primes and it is so sad to see this happening.  I think both of them are in their upper 80s and were avid readers; I don't know about now, but think her mother may still read, but her father may be past that.  And Terry is not well, so she has that added burden, although he functions quite well if left alone.  Jan's mother works at Hospice with Dot and each time they have to tell her how to do her work.  She retains it for the day, but by the next week has forgotten everything.  Count your blessings!

Mary Ann

Angel, very interesting about Alaska.  You have spoken of Anchorage, Fairbanks and the native villages but never about your capitol, Juno.  Have you been there?  I remember reading in a newspaper that when Sarah Palin was Governor she never went to the capitol unless absolutely necessary.  I thought that was strange but never heard the reason.  Is it hard to travel to it?

http://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=11.msg78140#msg78140

The above link is to two photos of Anchorage, our largest city and in the same climate as Washington and Oregon. The last is a recent photo of Fairbanks, the second largest city where I live and is a dry climate, prairie setting. These three photos were not taken by me.

Our capital, Juneau is only reachable by either ship or air. There are no connecting roads in that area. It is in a region of mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, and is also in the Southeastern rainforest climate with its absolutely gorgeous scenery. I have been there once in 1969 so it hardly counts as it has rapidly changed.

Jean, I added two professional recent photos of parts of Juneau.

http://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=11.msg78146#msg78146

Sarah Palin, who we Alaskans would all painfully wish to forget, was from Wasilla, a small town outside of Anchorage. She never went there, Juneau, much as she really didn't govern that much as she had her sights on bigger game. Her record as mayor of Wasilla and governor of the state were mercifully brief. And that you can easily Google.

MaryAnn, my mother also had Alz's and I'm very familiar with that. About Jan's sister, it is not about how good or how bad a teacher or any non Native professional may be. They want their own people in charge and Native speakers to preserve the Native languages. It is not anything to denigrate the non Native professionals but part of a cultural revival and also part of a larger need to go into the future while respecting their past.

When it comes to coincidence and similarity of names - I think this takes the cake.

After one of my hospital visits I was getting home therapy from a young gal named Rachel.  Of course I told her my granddaughter is Rachel 

She came for a treatment while my daughter, Alice was here so I introduced them, of course calling Alice by name and identifying her as the mother of Rachel.  The therapist's jaw dropped and she announced "My mother's name is Alice!"     We all got quite a laugh out of that.

Patricia, maybe it is difficult to get teachers for the area near Bethel since you can't get there from anywhere and few people want to be that isolated - native Americans or not.  And they obviously need teachers - anyone, someone!!!

Mary Ann

Good Morning Everyone from the icy cold, but still sunny,  rocky coast of Maine.   

Tomorrow we are to get a BLIZZARD!!! Which means lots of wind and SNOW ...    Yikes! 

All is well here.  I am off with Kelly this Morning to get stocked up for BLIZZARD weather..      This will come in hard, blow hard and disappear in a few days...    Such are Spring Time Blizzards!

Have a good day,  Everyone. 
Sandy 

Hi everyone.  It is another overcast and chilly day here in South Carolina with the prospect of rain throughout the day.  So far we have had no rain.  The only thing on my schedule for today is to attend my Monday noon meeting.  We did attend Sunday School and Church yesterday.  There were a lot of vacancies perhaps due to a cold and rainy morning as well as the change to day-light savings.  Last evening I watched a couple of the "Little Big Shots" program that features little or young children.  It is hosted by Steve Harvey and is an enjoyable and nice program.  He always talks with the little ones and some of their answers are precious. 

Sandy, sure hope you can get your day out with Kelly in before the snow starts in your area.  According to the national forecast you could be in for some significant snow. 

Mary Ann, Jan must have a lot of energy and obviously has had a lot of different work experiences.  Her family sounds like a very achieving type family with lots of teachers. 

Marilyne, I am with you on disliking Daylight Saving time.  I was enjoying getting up in the morning and having it be daylight and will be glad when that is again the case.  Hope you found some nice bargains at the Estate Sale. Where I grew up people had auctions and I always liked attending them.  However, I don't even stop at a garage sale anymore as sure don't need anything else that I would find there. 

Patricia, that was certainly a sad history of what has been done to the native people.  I was surprised about Alaska having the highest consumption of ice cream.  I wonder why?  I am not surprised at the small plane ownership.  I have read several of the books written by Dana Stabenow, which are set in the native culture. Have you read any of her books?

Jeanne, we often find this is really a small world.  An interesting coincidence on the names. 

It is snowing hard here today. Maybe one that will need shoveling later. Think will just relax, read and watch movies.
Noticed it was still dark at 7am. That is bad as we have school buses picking up the first children at that time. Awful on these cold mornings. They should not make that time change until later in the spring.y

Larry, when my husband and I were managing the Schwantes apartments in Anchorage, Wasilla, and Alyeska, we met Ms. Stabenow at a bookstore signing and she signed one of her paperbacks for me. We, my husband and I, ran into her again in Alyeska as I was collecting rents and had stopped in a diner for a coffee break. She came in at the same time and we joked about us following her.

Angel, thanks for the interesting information.  Juneau makes a beautiful picture with that powerful background of mountains.

I'm sorry I didn't get to see any of the Inside Passage cities when I was in Alaska, but I did get to Patricia's Interior and liked it very much. 

We just returned from a visit to my skin cancer doctor for a check up and all is OK.  He cancelled my April appointment and said to change the appointment to fall, which I did.  On the way home, we stopped at Wendy's, came home to eat things, then Tom headed out to drive for Uber.  Our weather hasn't been the best today, but it's a lot better than what they predict for the New England states, especially Massachusetts.

Mary Ann

Good evening, waiting for our blizzard. Everything seems to be closed for tomorrow.

MaryAnn, Our neighbors went to Patchogue,( about 30 miles from here)
the other night for there daughters birthday party.  When they came out of the restaurant it was snowing a little, plus the radio was saying a lot of black ice. they also had had a few drinks, so they called Uber to bring them back to Riverhead. Went back the next day to get their car.

Gloria de - Smart move.

We still have some snowing here, but I think by tomorrow it will be gone.  There is no blizzard involved, just light snow.

I notice from radar that we have a big area of snow - the entire state and other states.  The snow is moving eastward and I think will connect with a smaller amount in the East and that will become the blizzard. 

Mary Ann

Sandy, may I use your photo in the Gallery, Orchids, as a PSP tube?