WEEK of COLOR-Want to join?!?!

I can across this photo/color idea at WALDORF MAMA, who got if from CURIOUS BIRD. Great sites that I recommend visiting! Even though the Color Week is over, I thought I would just post about it here and give it a try myself for this upcoming week. Feel free to join! Let me know and I’ll include you in a list of links that I will post on Monday. Check out the series of photos on Waldorf Mama!
Every day of the week will be dedicated to a color and participation only involves taking and posting photos that include the color of the day. The photo or photos can be of anything. Should be fun!

monday: green
tuesday: yellow
wednesday: orange
thursday: red/pink
friday: blue
sat/sun: purple

SIGNS OF LIFE!!!

This started as a comment on another blog but I’m going to expand on it here. Cuz I’ve been sick all week and I feel laaaazy.

I don’t want to jinx anything by speaking of it….but spring is finally- tentatively- peeking through the doorway. With our last 2 surprise snowstorms and ongoing ominous weather, she’s arrived late. I have a feeling those buds that usually are so slow and deliberate in unfolding are just going to explode into green all at once to make up for lost time! It would be a very un-Alaskan spring! More of a taste of springs past- my childhood back east in New Jersey.

As Lo and I dinked around the yard yesterday I was elated to see tiny little signs of life. Little pink pearlescent balls of rhubarb and rosewood, the green tips of iris leaves just poking out from last fall’s decaying flora. A couple lazy bumble bees were buzzing around. That familiar rich smell of warming earth was carried on the breeze as we took stock of our “playgarden” almost completely emerged from the snow. We had a little visitor on our deck-a little baby mouse too young yet to have much fear or to be considered pesky. It scurried here and there nibbling on discarded birdseed while we watched.

So cute! The snowshoe hares have been venturing out looking for food as well. Their snow white fur is almost all brown now.

I’m just itching to till the soil of our little plot next to the house where we grow purple potatoes, sugar snap peas, and carrots. The visqueen covering our greenhouse was destroyed by wind and snowpack so we’re going to put up the hard plastic stuff when Huz gets back. I can’t wait to get our tomato and sunflower starts transplanted and start some other goodies in the greenhouse. I think I’ll enlist the kids in coming up with ideas to make our greenhouse more attractive!

We don’t have a “yard” per se. No green grass to mow or fertilize. What we do have is alpine tundra. Our property is shaped like a pie wedge. It contains conifers, alder, willow and aspen-fun to make a “fort” and hide under but too stunted to climb. We have a nice variety of wildflowers that bloom all through summer: and of course the beautiful fireweed that blooms a brilliant magenta towards the end of the season .

It’s leaves then turn from yellow to orange to red and maroon-just amazing to see our valley and mountainsides covered in those fiery colors. Sometimes we’ll get a dusting of snow over it and the juxtaposition is breathtaking.

In the winter our yard is a wonderland.

We stomp out a labyrinth of trails from one cluster of spruce to the next. And, since we are on a sloping mountainside, we have plenty of places to make slides for sledding. The longest being from our playgarden toward the top of the property, down along side our house, onto the driveway, into the road and if we’re lucky, our sled will make the left turn onto the next road and then a right onto the one after that! A bitchin’ ride.

Yeah. That would be a penguin costume. I have a weird family.

But enough of winter! Onward with Spring!

ALASKA DIP NETTING-Thursday's recipe

My thoughts turned toward our summer fishing trips and dip netting this morning. I was in the garage searching for my missing summer clothes and the nets caught my eye.

An amazing phenomenon occurs for a short time each summer here in Alaska as thousands of us, from all walks of life, take a break from whatever we're busy doing at the time to storm the shores of Alaska's rivers. Some dip solo and some with friends. Some make it a family effort and yet other's combine the fam with the friends and that makes for a raucus time camping on the beach!

As each of the dip netting rivers are opened up for fishing, you’ll see them. When the tide is slack… over the horizon come the hoards. RVs, campers, bonking clubs, kids and coolers. Cars, ATVs, motorcycles, bicycles, tents, grandpas, fireworks and firewood. Filleting knives, dogs, rats, fold up chairs, grandma’s, BBQ’s and out of state visitors who only get to sit on the beach and watch. All toting the almighty DIP NET. A loooong pole with an always humungous varyingly shaped net at it’s end. The very device in which, if your lucky, a bounty of salmon will enter and never escape. The camps are erected and a beer is drunk. Off you go with net and cooler to the water’s edge.



Here’s how it goes down:
You wade out as far as you feel comfortable, usually chest deep, careful not to fill up your waders with water. You hold the end of the pole and slide the dip net straight out in front of you-the net standing vertical, not lying horizontal-into the current. Now you wait. And wait… And wait. Some smoke, some chat, some listen to I-pods. If you’re me, you close your eyes, feel the warmth of the sun, let the soft waves rock you, become one with the water, mind extending beyond it’s physical boundaries, reaching out to the horizon….and BEGGING Mother Earth to PROVIDE!!!!



If She is pleased, there won’t be a wait! Those fish just keep coming! You feel the tell tale tug in your net. Twist it down to entrap the fish and start hauling ass back to the shore where your sadistic kid
or your bored out-of-towner can bonk the fish on the head with the club. Clip the tips of the fin and into the cooler it goes! YAAAAHOOOO!!! Get back in the water to catch fish after fish and you are breathless and it’s someone else’s turn!


If She is not pleased, you wait. Until your back aches. Until your arms fatigue. You wait. Until you’re shivering with cold and then it’s someone else’s turn.


The head of the household-that’s me- can catch a total of 25 sockeyes for the year and each additional family member can catch 10 for the year. We got a second freezer and are eyeing a third. Sometimes you can catch your limit in one day. Often times it’s several trips to catch the limit. One rockin year we caught most of our limit in one day, one after the other. No sooner did you put your net back in the water and there was another one in there! THAT’S the fishin’ I like!



I won’t go into the bleeding out, and the gutting, and the processing…. Too exhausting.

On to the cooking!
PAN POACHED SALMON PICCATA

1/2 cup water

2 tsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. chicken broth granules

2 (4 to 6 oz. each) Salmon steaks or fillets, thawed if necessary

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. capers

black pepper, to taste

chopped parsley, for garnish

cooked noodles, optional but a good idea!

Bring water and lemon juice to a boil in medium-sized skillet. Stir in chicken granules. Reduce heat to a simmer and place salmon steaks or fillets in pan. Cover and simmer over low heat, 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until fish flakes when tested with a fork. Remove salmon from pan; keep warm. Boil remaining liquid in pan until it reduces to approximately 1/4 cup. Whisk in butter and stir in capers. Spoon sauce over fish. Season with pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Server on a bed of cooked noodles, if desired. Makes 2 servings.


Don't forget the Cab! "White", you say? NO!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, Mommies!

(Belated! I forgot to post this! Got home at 9:00 last night, ate dinner at 11:00! And got up at 3:something to drive Huz to the airport.)


I hope you all had a wonderful day being celebrated by the most precious beings we could ever be blessed with, Your childrenY.

What a nice day we’ve had. Cinnamon rolls for breky, some really sweet gifts, we’re having my beloved skirt steak, and a lovely flute concert by the Anchorage Flute Choir that Dea performs in.

And after the kids are in bed , some quiet alone time with my Huz Y who’s going to a week long convention in Dallas tomorrow. :(

I am honored to have the privilege to be the mother of my two children. I sincerely believe we choose each other and I am the most fortunate mommy. Since I could remember, I had the strongest desire to be a mommy, to be my children’s first teacher- to introduce them to life. But they, really, are the teachers . And the mirrors in which I see myself. The best of myself and, yes, sometimes the worst. All the more motivation to be the best person I can be. For them, for me, for life.

O.K.! Mush-n-gush over.
So here’s my loot!

A sweet painted ceramic foggy by Lo, a lovely flower fairy

by Dea

and BORAT from the Huz who knows!!!!
And a joint effort by the kids-a smashing apron to wear when I paint!

And they detailed my car! Whoo-hoo!

Wad you all get?!?!?

WE NOW RETURN TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM

SPRING HAS RETURNED!!!!!!!!!

What fantastic weather we had yesterday for the May Faire and Lo’s birthday party!

We spent the first part of the Day at Aurora Waldorf school’s annual May Faire, one of our most anticipated events of the Fair/Festival season. Crafts, games, juggling, pony rides, food and folks against a backdrop of folk, bluegrass, and classical music performed by students and parents of the school.

Lo started off a bit cranky but was fine as soon as we put some food in her belly. She also tends to get sensory overload at events and really needs to ease into all the goings on. It was sunny and warm and an enchanting place to pretend you’re in a charming fairyland village. The kids enjoy buying their jewels(colorful glass floral stones) and keeping them in their little sacks around their wrists. Such a fanciful “currency “ to use to pay for all the activities! Face painting is always a favorite of Dea’s and I wish I had volunteered to help at that booth! I love transforming kids into creatures! Lo chose to be a colorful lion and Dea opted for the minimal blossoms.

Other activities included hula hoopin’,

A long wait (Mommy and Daddy tag teamed it)on line for a pony ride,

pot painting and tomato and herb planting,

Fishing for a surprise,

Jump rope making,

Making juggling balls and learning some juggling tricks ,

And making fairy garlands.

After a couple 3 hours we re-entered the real world and headed home for the birthday party. All of us were fortunate that Lo took a nap on the way home! It had already been such a high stimulus day! We had anticipated the usual birthday meltdowns but it actually went smoothly in that respect. The night before, Dea helped decorate the house after Lo went to bed and Huz baked the cake.

I LOVE decorating for my kid’s B-day parties!!! Dea’s is in July and it was always full of colorful flowers- purple fireweed, daisies, grasses- balloons and butterfly streamers… But not so much now that she’s older. It’s nice to have a little one again to decorate for.

Kids arrived at 4:00 and I’m not really sure what happened after that! With the first 2 kids came some serious rowdiness so we herded them outside to the play garden. At least the snow had melted enough around the swings and tree fort! From there it was off to make fairy bracelets and picture frames. Then our homemade pizza and cake.

Then prezzies. This picture is indicative of how that event went!:

Lo just started ripping through the gifts and I barely had time to slow her down, pick gifts up off the floor before they disapeared in tissue and wraping paper, read the cards take pictures, or suggest hugs and thank yous! I had to tell myself, she’s not being rude, she’s being a 4 year old! And she’s just the type of child who has to see everything first and will then go back and explore each thing.
The dollhouse was a hit despite the ill fitted front roof(we’ll fix that later) and Huz and I are quite proud of ourselves I must brag.

I’m diggin’ my scroll saw! Eventually the last kiddo left and I finally got to have my piece of pizza. Phew.

Got the Birthday Girl off to bed and the 3 of us watched-slept through, in my case-Beverly Hills Cop. Or maybe I passed out from the obnoxious 80s music.