An Alaskan harvest-elementary school style

I like the idea of writing a "harvest" post this time of year-taking a look back at our own efforts at a wee garden and greenhouse growing, but I think I've missed the mark the past couple of years! My intention was to do one now, but I think I'll wait until after I post this one about Willa's class trip to the u-pick farm. It's a nice taste of agrarian Alaska and the magnificent produce it yields. And it kicks the ass of our little harvest here at home.

Willa's school does a K-6 class trip at the beginning of the school year as a way for kids, parents, and teachers to get acquainted/re-acquainted with each other, to get outside for some kind of harvest activity, and after which the kids bring their goods back to school to prep and cook into something yummy. For years it was a berry picking/hiking trip and the kids would make muffins the next day. This year was different. Since this program is embarking on a year long gardening project, they opted to take a trip up to Palmer to Pyrah's Pioneer Peak Farm to give the kids the experience of a tractor drawn hayride and picking veggies straight from the gardens. I definitely think it was a success! -Our previous berry picking excursions sometimes left us with NO BERRIES, depending on how the summer's weather had been! The farmland up in the Mat-Su valley is just GORGEOUS! Fecund emerald land and indigo mountains...

The kids brought home their veggies to be cleaned that night and then brought them back to school the next day to be chopped and prepped for soup. Each class had about 4 crock pots going in their rooms that day! The smell was heaven. Everyone got to enjoy the soup at our Family Harvest pot luck. A warm and lovely segue into fall.

Teenagers are EVIL!

Or, Things To Do When You Are Sick.
Physically. Not mentally.

(After)

Lo was sick all last week. In fact half of her class has been MIA over the past couple of weeks. Dea was sick yesterday for, like, 10 minutes as per usual. She's got one seriously sound immune system.

Now it's my turn. Sore throat, chills, Huz is in Palm Springs for workshops/fancy award diners/golf, and I'm dealing with the fact that my dad in Florida has been deemed unfit to care for himself. Thus starts the long ordeal of paperwork, getting him to understand he can't go home again, and trying to get him up here to a facility in Alaska where at least he will have family to watch over him.

So, what do I do? Muck about with photos! Lot's of fun Halloween pic tricks to be found on various online photo-altering sites! You, too can create an interpretive photo of your angsty teen that'll really irk 'em!

I kid. And, yes, we've all had our teen moments- I had one yesterday, in fact, after I got a crappy hair cut. Let's take a look back at my FaceBook rant, shall we?

"Great dancing christ-on-a-crutch. They BUTCHED me at the salon. Is there NO ONE in Alaska who knows how to deal with CURL?! I walked out of there looking like Gene Wilder for feksake. I look like an asshole. I'll see you in DECEMBER."
~stomps off and slams bedroom door.

My mind is cast asunder on a daily basis at what a lovely person my girlie is evolving into. Can we not just slow down the whole process, though? A little bit? This "growing up" thing is happening WAY TOO FAST.

(Before)

(Homecoming dance)

Her dress was so cute! I should post the dress that I wore to a Homecoming. PUKE! Twas my MOTHER'S.