BURRRRRRR.........
I just watched the weather- five day forecast shows night temps in the mid teens and day temps in the mid twenties. Yes, sir, winter has suddenly arrived in Alaska-at least it seems sort of sudden to me! Baby, it's cold outside!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Hope you had a good Hallyweeny!! It was a big deal at the clinic...lots of dressing up. My office was "Rydell High School" as in Grease. We were the pink ladies and Peter (our one guy) was a Thunderbird. Some of us looked a little better than others as you can tell below:

Extra, Extra! (By Mindy)

Those of you who know my wonderful son know that he is multi-talented, sensitive and intelligent. Please note the following message by his wonderfully supportive wife:

Extra, Extra! (By Mindy)

My movie star husband has spent the day filming Power Rangers. He will be in the first episode of the new season as part of a film crew--assistant director and also as a professor (wasn't that some type casting!). At one point the pink power range saves him (and some other people) from a laser. He had to duck behind a table and while he was down there he saw the pink power rangers panties. He thinks he might also be in the third episode a little bit. He thinks the new season is called Power Rangers Dark of night, but he's not sure. So set your vcr's! :)

Now I don't know when this show comes on but I can't wait to actually see his handsome face (it's been a long time!). Tune in!!

For those who have asked about Southcentral Foundation, I posted a blog but it put itself back around October 22...if you are interested you can scroll back.

FYI: I drove to work in the snow and arrived in one piece-me, the car, and the people around me! The road is a plane of white snow and ice and you have to imagine where the lanes might me but.....I arrived safely. It is still snowing heavily!

WHERE DID ALL THE SNOW GO!

So, here is where they put all the snow they have been plowing up off the parking lot all day long! Jane is 5'3 and this pile of snow dwarfs her!

CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER

Observations on driving in Alaska winter wonderland!
I ventured out to the grocery store having put it off until today and the heavy snow-oh, well...life goes on in the winter in Alaska and that means snow. I figured I'd go to New Sogoya (I've been mis-spelling it in prior blogs) for groceries and then to Fred Myers for nongrocery items. The trip there wasn't too bad-got my groceries although I discovered the Natural Pantry had a better selection at less cost. By the time I got back to my car it was fairly buried in snow-get the scraper/brush out and brush it off, oh yeah, don't turn on the windshield wipers with the door on unless you are ready to have all the snow dumped into the car! Sit, sit, sit waiting for the defroster to do it's thing so I can see (at least momentarily) where I am going. Now, it's getting a little dicey and this southern girl wishes she'd stayed home-yep, Fred Myers is out for today! The problem being that apparently Alaksa does not have snow plows....or maybe they just don't work on Sunday???? I survived a winter in Iowa but they had snow plows always busy, very busy, plowing the roads. Do Alaskans consider themselves too hardy for snow plows? With millions of dollars in campaign money for the state representative coming from Pine Bluff, Arkansas is all the money for snow plows going to Arkansas??? What's the deal here??? No wonder I see so many trucks and SUVs with snow plows attached to the front-they have to do it themselves? In fact, the picture above is in the parking lot of the apt-the super or someone who works for the apt is plowing the parking lot. It lasts than 15 minutes before the parking lot is covered again! I wonder how often he does this in a day or is it a one time chore-might as well not do it in that case!
About the driving part-visibility is an issue in many ways! With no snow plows I can't tell where the lanes are, where the medians are, where the curbs are.... Stopping seems to go pretty well but I have trouble starting up again at a light or stop sign without a little spinning and shimming-and, yes, mother...I am going slow! Most people are very careful-I had one person pull-very slowly and very carefully-right out in front of me! The exceptions seem to be people driving trucks and SUVs-some of them drive like idiots! They drive considerably faster than the rest of us and somewhat recklessly-one was in the left turn lane and when the light turned green pulled out and crossed over in front of me to go straight!! Note: this is not all trucks and SUVs-but the stupid ones seem to be driving those vehicles...maybe they feel invincible...maybe that's why most of the wrecks I've seen reported on TV have been trucks and SUVs!
Jane says she's calling me to see if I change my mind about going to walk and soak in the hot tub at 1pm-she'll drive! I'm thinking doing laundry and cleaning house is looking pretty good right now-if only I hadn't run out of knitting thread for my scarf I could be really happy right here!
PS....While I was writing this the parking lot was buried again and now there is a little bobcat with a front end loader out there scraping the snow up. Look at this lady across the way-she's in a pickle-real glad my car is parked in a heated garage!

It's snowing....it's snowing...it's snowing.........

I don't know if you can really tell from this picture (shot from my apartment window) but it is snowing cats and dogs-or maybe I should say nickels and dimes because that is how big the flakes are. If you double click on the picture and bring it up to the original size I think you can see how hard it is snowing.
I am trying to decide if I am going to stick to my original plan to walk downtown to the Starbuck's or get in the car and drive to Starbuck's at Barnes and Nobles bookstore or get in the car and drive to the internet cafe next to Tidal Wave bookstore. Hummmm, I wonder why all those choices involve a bookstore. I could go to the Starbuck's at Fred Myer's grocery store or at Carr's grocery store but that just doesn't sound like as much fun! New Sogovia sounds pretty good but I had breakfast there yesterday.... So many choices here in "the outside world" as Mike calls anyplace outside of Abilene. Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday...and enjoy the extra hour afforded by the time change!

Cozy evening in Alaska....It may be 23 degrees outside but I am enjoying a cozy evening. A wonderful dinner of toast, dark chocolate, and Earl Grey double bergamont tea served up with a good book, The Reader's Companion to Alaska. hmmmmmm.... Life is good! Wish you all were here enjoying this with me....since you aren't I hope you are having an equally cozy and enjoyable evening!

MY NEW ALASKAN KNIFE
I met Jane for breakfast at the New Segovia Market-wow, what a place! All sorts of fresh fish-some even have their heads and eyes still on!! Fruit and veggies of all kind-even jalapenos and other things that are common in Texas but rare here....bakery with all manner of fresh baked breads and other goodies...deli with to die for cheeses...on and on and on!!! I could spend a day there and across the street at The Natural Pantry-the wholefood, organic market!
From there Jane headed off for some very boring errands (laundry, etc) that I opted to avoid (I'm lucky to have a washer and dryer in my apartment). Instead I struck out for a BIG adventure-the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention arts and crafts sale!!!
What an experience!!! Native Alaskans-Eskimos and Aluets-from all the villages brought their arts and crafts to sale. I will try to give you a taste of the adventure!
First, walking to the convention center there are people, people everywhere. In front of the building there is a man singing with his guitar case open for money-he is singing protest type songs and his is a political mission. I didn't stop long enough to understand what his cause (it's 23 outside). Along the side of the building were women selling "Alaska donuts" and, my favorite, fry bread (it seems fry bread is as popular here as in the Taos Pueblo where I first ate it).
There were young people and young adults dressed in typical western clothing...and the occsional woman in her traditional parka. The parkas are long and straight until right above the knee where they are gathered sort of like a skirt. The gathered material portion extends to right below the knee. The material varies but it is apparentlly fur lined because there is fur of some type showing below the bottom of the parka, around the hands and around the hood. I did see one parka that was all fur with strip of fur (perhaps tails of animals ?) hanging off.
Mostly you hear English spoken all around you but there is the occasional Yupik or other native language (I apologize, I don't know the languages). The sound is rather guttral to me and seems like it would be very hard to learn!
In the Arts and Crafts area there were many elders sitting behind tables with their names displayed on the front of the table and their crafts in front....there were younger people too but mostly elders. Beautiful people with brown, round faces and broad cheek bones. The quality of the arts and crafts was unbelievable! Carvings, beadwork, furs! Bone, belen, wood...seal...it was almost more than I could take in!
In the lower 48 I am sure there would have been protests going on outside the convention center because I have never seen so much fur and so many pelts. Some was made into gloves, hats, or mukluks...but there were also furs and pelts hanging in displays to be purchased.
It was all wildly outside of my price range! The booties and mukluks for babies and children, for example, were $50-$80. I saw a charming stuffed doll...about 10 inches long...$100. Of course, it was hand sewn, stuffed, the face was emboidery and she was dressed in a seal skin parka. But, you get the ideal.
I was hoping to get one thing -an Alaska knife! I used one at a friend's house and it was a dream for chopping veggies, and she removed the skin on the salmon like it was nothing! I hadn't been able to find one of the knives at a store so I thought maybe..... Sure enough, I found several booths with the Alaska knife! One booth had tons of them of every size you can imagine...the handles were carved bone or antler. They were works of art! There were several women standing around trying them out...they would pick one up and slash this was and then turn their wrists and slash that way back and forth several times....put that knife down, pick up another, slash some more. I stood back, way back, and observed. When the crowd of slashing women thinned out some I moved in and picked up a small one....slash, slash, slash (I am sure it was my imagination that the crowd seemed to thin out considerably more). But, sigh, they were way out of my price range, starting at $100 for the bitty ones and going up, way up, from there! Luck was with me as later I found a booth with an assortment of things including three knives. Two had bone handles with the opening for your fingers-and relatively inexpensive at $95 and $70....and then there was my knife! It was roughly done in comparison to the others-and the handle was wood which was directly attached to the blade without the opening for your fingers....but it was $35. In my imagination this is some young Eskimo craftsman's beginning attempts at learning to craft the knife and I helped him or her out by buying it :-) So, admire the picture of my Alaska knife!!!
From there I walked down the street looking for something to eat-preferably something HOT! Instead I found food for my soul! The Cook Inlet Book Company! How had I missed this place??? A bookstore specializing in books books on Alaska (also out of print books and used books). What a find! And it is only about 10 blocks from the apartment-an easy walk! I spent a good hour in the store-long enough to win over the gruff old bookstore owner!
My final stop before heading home was a bakery for a cup of chili, hot tea and a Halloween cookie-a most unusual tea shop in downtown Alaska. It is rather Victorian with cute little this- and-thats in the shop-very Fredricksburgy, very unAlaskan!!!
Here I am at home in the midafternoon on a Saturday-no more adventures planned for the weekend! I am going to knit and curl up with some hot tea and a good book (The Reader's Companion to Alaska edited by Alan Ryan-"a pretty good place to start learning about Alaska" per my bookstore friend).
Oh.....I was interupted by "Mike, the postman" who rang up to tell me he had a package for me...and a Halloween card from Mike, my sweetie! What a treat on this cold Alaskan winter day! Have a cup of tea and think of me!

It's a snowy winter day in Alaska!
I took this pictures at the pond where we walk at lunch. It is right across from the hospital and clinic in a wooded area. It is a leash free area for dogs so this evening I met many dogs and their people. The beautiful white Sheperd mix are sisters, Summit and Inga. They own Cathy and she was kind enough to let me spend lots of time trying to photo graph this beautiful pair. They are like hyperactive children-never still a moment. As we stood on the bridge many dogs and a few people came by-giving this intrepid pair something else to get excited about! There were a flock of ducks at another section of the pond and, curiously, near the bridge and totally out of site of the flock was a lone duck! Click for more pictures.

SNOW FOR HALLOWEEN.....
Hi, yesterday's snow was nothing and didn't even leave any snow on the ground but today it SNOWED. It snowed all day-big flakes coming down hard. I really wanted to get some pictures of the first snow to post but I had higher priorities! Like dry feet. I had to get myself geared up for winter in Alaska. You know I put everything off until the last minute...this was no exception. So off I went after work to the Army Navy store-I now have dry feet! Thanks to my new boots that keep your feet warm down to -25 degrees. I am wearing them all around the house tonight to practice walking in snow boots (I imagine that my downstairs neighbor is not thrilled by this). I couldn't find a good warm coat that is water proof and that fits me-at least not at the Army Navy store. But, I found the perfect coat at the grocery store! Add the gloves and warm socks and I am good to go....well, they tell me I might need yak-traks.
However, I do have some pictures for you! The family medicine clinic is divided into 4 groups-east, west and center (mine). There are about 10 providers per group, the casemanagers for each, the CMAs and the administrative support. The groups meet monthly-we met Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week (today was my groups turn). Since it was almost Halloween we carved pumpkins! Here are some pictures of me, another nurse practitioner, one of the case managers and one of the doctors (she's the one with the big rubber ears and she's the one that made the "brain food").

It's snowing in Alaska...
It snowed today in Anchorage ...at least for a little while. I was walking at noon and these big, beautiful, fluffy flakes of snow where floating so softly down and breaking up when they hit the ground. The snow didn't stay but it was like walking in a wonderland!
A bit of news from Belize....Ms Hortense has rallied. She is still unable to speak or care for herself, however, she has returned to her home in Ladyville and is being cared for by some of her children there. Apparently her work is not done here. Thanks to you who offered prayers and to those who have continued to inquire about her.
I have had inquires about Alaska Native Medical Center and the work here-it has been very difficult to address this question. It is amazing. I am working on a blog about this which I will post midweek.
This week is the Alaska Federation of Native convention in Anchorage-something like 4000 Alaska Natives from all over the state and some Native American Indians from the lower 48. Today they completed the elder and youth convention-a gathering of elder and youth to try to find ways to stay connected. Tomorrow the remainder of the convention starts. Kathleen Gottlieb, our CEO, is the keynote speaker. Unfortunately the dancing occurs when I am at work-several of my patients have urged me to go watch the dances and I would really love to but.... They also have the arts and crafts and I am excited because that will be open on Saturday!
That's my potpourri of info for today-I am learning to knit on a loom like frame so I have to go work on my scarf.

Mt McKinley pictures now posted http://picasaweb.google.com/dancingwithherbs/Denali

SOUTH CENTRAL FOUNDATION AND THE NATIVE ALASKAN MEDICAL CENTER, Part I:
Several people have asked for information about where I work and what I am doing. I have found trying to explain the health care system here to be a daunting task. It is so incredible!
So, I will first introduce you to the CEO of South Central Foundation as I think her story sets the stage very well for an understanding of this incredible program.
My first introduction to Kathleen Gottlieb was a picture of a pretty Native Alaskan woman that appeared to be in her late 20s or early 30s. I was amazed to find a woman so young in such a position of power (she is actually 54). I was even more amazed when I learned her story.
Ms Gottlieb is Aluet, born on Kodiak Island to an Aluet mother and Filipino father. She was one of 12 siblings. Kathleen was 12 when her mother died and she was left to raise the seven siblings remaining at home. Not surprisingly she dropped out of school at the age of 16 and had her first child (she nw has 6 children and 22 grandchildren).
As is shockingly common here, Kathleen found herself in an abusive marriage, but after several years she found the courage to plan and pull off a well-timed escape aboard the Seldovia ferry. She was cast ashore with two children, no job and no education.
What follows is the most inspiring story! Kathleen Gottlieb earned a GED and an AA in business from the University of Alaska Anchorage. In 1987 she went to work as a receptionist for South Central Foundation (SCF). While working and raising six kids she earned a BA in business administration from Alaska Pacific University in 1990. Get this: After two years on the job she advanced to deputy director of SCF! Four years after she signed on she became acting executive director! She earned her MBA in 1995 and ten years later this high school drop was CEO of one of the most powerful coorporations in Alaska and APU conferred an honorary doctorate!
She recently conceptualized and spearheaded a new program called the Family Wellness Warriors Program which focuses on bringing domestic violence out of the closet, making it a real part of dialogue across the state. For this, and other accomplishments, she was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship (popularly known as "genius grants"). This honor is accompanied by a $500,000 no strings attached grant which has no reporting requirements. She has used part of the money to start an employee health program.
Ms Gottlieb is described as creative, passionate and driven. This is reflected in the organization-this is the most creatively run, can-do place I have ever worked!
Kathleen was drafted by the Clinton administration in the mid 90s to help draft rules to guide the Indian Health Service in surrendering funds and responsiblity for Native health care to tribal organiztions. In Alaska, under her leadership, the Alaska Native Medical Center emerged as one of the first tribally owned and operated, full-service, Native health care systems in America.
In 1982 when Southcentral Foundation was incorporated under the tribal authority of Cook Inlet Region, Inc and services were handed over from the goverment there were 12 staff and 3 programs. In 2004 there were over 1200 staff and 65+ programs!
SCF is described as "a shining example" of what can be done with private sector energy and determination! It's an example of Natives obtaining a measure of self-determination. The setup is that the 300 plus cultures of Alaska formed several corporations along geographic rather than tribal lines. Within these corporations there are regional health corporations and regional hospitals to which the Indian Health Service hand over the dollars to be managed.
South Central is the corporation I work for (through CompHealth) in Alaska. SCF delivers care to over 400,000 Native Alaskans. These services include primary health care, family medicine, emergency services and surgery, dentistry, optical care, and physical therapy. Other programs address prenatal care, headstart, preschool, fetal alcohol syndrome, substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health counseling, elder care, complementary healthcare and traditional healing. Across the board the focus is client/owner centered and holistic! The key points are shared responsibility, a commitment to quality and family wellness.
When you try to imagine this place don't think about the local hospital-think about Southwestern Medical School or some other teaching, research hospital and you will be much closer to a real picture of SCF and the Alaskan Native Medical Center.
Organization charts are not a the typical pyramid shape-they are groups of intertwining circles all with the client-owner in the middle and the employee in each of the circles.
The Native Hospital is considered a magnet hospital-which means that it has been identified by nursing leadership as an outstanding place to practice nursing. The model of nursing management used is known as "self governance" which basically gives the bedside nurse the most power in the nursing structure.
The Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Hospitals is not stringent enough for this place! Although they are accredited by JACHO and recently passed a surprise visit with NO dings, they use a more exacting system called the Baldridge National Quality framework. SCF has acheived step three, which is apparently quite an accomplishment-the goal is the Baldridge award.
Do you see why this is so difficult to explain! I will be doing a follow-up blog on
1) a closer look at a few of the programs
2) a look at the Primary Care Clinic (PCC) where I work
3) what it's like to be a provider of care in this system
Don't pack your bags unless you are Native American because you can not recieved care in this system unless you have your card identifying you as Native American or Native Alaskan. I will say that many Native Americans come up here to receive care-to the extent that there is a two person department whose job is to make sure that people really belong here or plan to stay before receiving the benefits.
It is truly an experience of a lifetime to work in this system!

PS....
I am having trouble publishing the pictures...as soon as I can get in touch with my consultant in New Zealand I will publish the folder of pics from Saturday's trip. They are not the best pictures but there are some nice ones of the mountain.

A VISIT TO THE GREAT DENALI!
Today I am recovering from a very busy Saturday! It started with a walk down one of the many paths that criss-cross the city of Anchorage. This one is near downtown which doesn't deem to deter the moose from making it home. As I mentioned yesterday I had a chance to meet my first moose family. That was very exciting but I'm hoping for another chance in to see them in the daylight.
Speaking of daylight-we are loosing 5 minutes of sunlight a day! Soon it will be dark more than it is light. And even the daylight hours will be more like dusk. Now it gets light around 8:30 or 9:00am and dark around 6:30 or 7:00. At the end of the month we "fall back" so it will get light even later!
It can be very disorienting to see the sun always in the south. It raises in the southeast and sets in the southwest-of course, the later into winter it is the lower it rises and sets on the southern horizon.
But, back to my adventures of Saturday. After walking the trail I walked downtown with another traveling provider (PA) Jane. We ate breakfast at a downtown cafe since I couldn't find the bakery I had spotted Thursday night. When afoot there is only so much walking around looking one wants to do! I treated myself to sourdough pancakes-the most delicious I've ever put in my mouth!!! And Reindeer sausage!! Ymmmmmmmm
I got back to the apartment at 10:30. That's three hours minus thirty minutes in the cafe!!!! I didn't feel too bad about the pancakes! Now time to decide how to spend one of the precious last days without ice or snow!! In fact, it was beautiful!! The sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky.
There...that made my decision for me!! I wanted to see Mt McKinnley while I was here and I had heard you could see her so well on a clear day but those were very rare. In fact when I was at the observation area I talked to a man that said to have a crystal clear view of the mountain like we did yesterday was a "one day in 364" chance (surely he was kidding).
So, into my Barbie and Ken car and off to Parks Highway I went.
My first stop of any interest was in Houston, Alaska. As far as I can tell Houston is one big fireworks stand....make that three big fireworks stands. It appears to be a "wide place in the road" that specializes in fireworks. Interestingly the name of the fireworks stand(s) in Houston is Gorilla fireworks! They do have a claim to fame-it would appear that Batman retired the Batmobile in Houston, AK.
Leaving there I continued down a very long, long road into Denali National Park. En route, I saw a sight I surely have never seen, nor ever expect to see in Texas. Along side the road there was a man on an all-terrain vehicle (not so unusual, you say).....apparently exercising six sled dogs harnessed into a team like they were pulling a sled (only there was no sled-only an ATV). They were just beautiful running along with their hair flying and the pure joy of running etched in their every move! Would loved to have gotten a picture of that but I suspect it would have lacked the spirit of the dogs and their joy!!
Then, suddenly she appeared in a break in the trees on the road-The Great Denali...better known as Mount McKinnley. As majestic and as beautiful as I expected her to be!!! I just kept driving toward her not really sure when I would stop but looking for a better place to take some pictures. Fortunately, I found a viewing area! It is the view of the mountain from about forty miles away. I spent almost an hour here just looking at the mountain and trying to taking in the majesty. There are information panels about the mountain that are full of such fascinating information!
While I was there I talked with a young man from California. His mother is a physician in Indian and was visiting him. He had done some mountain climbing in Alaska and wanted to show his mother the mountain and the northern lights. He offered to take my picture but wasn't happy with the results of the picture he took with my camera so he took one with his and will e-mail it to me. They were so nice! I've met some of the nicest people-from the homeless people downtown to these people!!!!
The next part of the trip was a nightmare!!! I continued north and next thing I knew I was on wet road with snow everywhere and temps 32 and dropping.....and worst of all, no bathroom! According to my map I should have gotten to a village but apparently it has been moved...so I drove and drove and drove looking for a turn around that had been plowed. Since by car practically sits on the ground so I was afraid to drive into any snow. I was really desparate for a loo and a way out of this mess! At last!!!! A plowed turn around-I got me and my Barbie and Ken car out of there!!!!!!
I drove back to Trapper's something or another village, a bathroom, and a $7.00 order of chicken strips (three strips and some fries)....it was, without a doubt, the most beautiful little building in the middle of no where I have ever seen.
I headed home.....this time it was a three hour trip home...with thoughts of Mt McKinnley and a place named Houston that sells Gorilla firecrackers.

Moose encounter
I had my first moose encounter this morning about 7:30 in the dark on a walking path in downtown Anchorage behind the Sports Complex/Civic Center place. I was walking with my new friends Jane, Tobasco and Osita. We were expecting the moose because Jane sees them every day when she walks this path-I guess this is were they live. There was a bull with a lovely rack, a cow and her yearling. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera so no pictures. I'll try next time.
I spent about 7 hours on the road today (after waking at 5am and walking about 3 hours this morning). I went to Denali Park and saw the awesome Denali or Mt. McKinley. I have some pictures I will post tomorrow but unfortunately my batteries died and I left the replacements in Anchorage. Still I have pictures of the great mountain. I am tired from all day in the car and the batteries are dead so you have to wait until tomorrow to see the pictures! I haven't seen them either so I hope the wait (and the hours in the car) will be worth it!

It must be getting close to Christmas because the apt across the way from me has a Christmas tree on the balcony-a flock one. How can I send out Christmas cards if no one sends me their address....I haven't even gotten one address from my last plea for addresses? Is there no one out there? Help me out here, I like to send Christmas cards and I've already picked out the ones I want to buy!

Eagle and Moose.....I think I have been walking the wrong way! A new NP arrived and started work yesterday. She walked the opposite direction toward some ball fields and the big indoor hockey field/convention center. She saw an eagle and three moose! Basically in downtown Anchorage! On about 16th street and C street! So, as soon as it stops raining so hard I am changing my walking route!! Maybe I'll have some pictures of moose for you!

I have had a request for a picture...I don't really have a picture of me on this computer. I do have this one of me and my sweetie that I scanned so I'd have it with me up here. So, here is a picture of me and Mike.
Another wonderful day in Alaska...but, it is colder! Today was 40 but there was a bite to the air! The "real" Alaskans tell me that snow is way over due and that they will be glad when it snows because it is not as cold (????). There is no snow in the forecast for the week through the weekend.
When I got home today I put on my insulated underware shirt, a turtle neck and a fleece vest with my jeans and headed out for my walk-feeling very pleased with myself thinking, "I'm looking like a real Alaskan now." Not so much....I didn't wear my cap and I only have light weight gloves. So my ears, my face and my finger tips got pretty chilly!
My destination was the bus terminal-I wanted to get advice about riding the bus. If you've read the posts in my other site you will have heard about my mission to figure out how to ride the bus to work. Well, it took me almost 30 minutes to get to the bus terminal-everytime I stopped someone and asked directions they would tell me to "walk that way and you will see it." When I finally got desparate enough to ask "how much longer will I have to walk to get to the bus terminal" the nice man pointed to the building across the street from where I was standing (I guess it was between bus time as there were NO buses anywhere around). Of course there was also no person at the bus terminal to help me with the issue of buses...I don't know if they were closed or if there is never anyone to help at the bus terminal. So, I found the most unlikely person I could find-one who was most certainly homeless, and looked to be Native Alaskan, to ask which bus I would take to the ANMC (Alaska Native Medical Center). He advised me to take bus 13: mission... this weekend I am standing on the corner at the bus stop to see if a bus 13 shows up and if it goes to the ANMC. So, progress has been made!
I was so cold that I cut through the mall on the way home....no, I did not shop! But, I did look in one store only because it had Cassy stuff...just like Shawna carries in her shop. I told the guy it made me feel at home which resulted in a recruiting talk for the state of Alaska. Did you know that every citizen of Alaska gets money from the state of Alaska-it is called the PFD and that is all I have heard about for a couple of weeks on TV and radio (come spend your PFD here...get a new car,...a PDA with your PFD...etc, etc, etc). They got $1000 this year-every man, woman and child! If that is not enough motivation, there is no sales tax and no state tax in Alaska! I can hook you up with the man at the Nature's Source store for further recruitment.
I begged off by telling him I needed to get home before dark-both he and the security guard for the mall who had joined in the recruitment effort assured me that it was a pretty safe area to walk in (even though there were lots of homeless and a couple of homeless shelters and the Salvation Army in the neighborhood)- the crime was low.
By the time I got home I had walked an hour and fifteen minutes not counting the pause in the at Nature's Source. Not bad, huh???!!!

In honor of Miss Hortense....I received sad news today from Rosita Arvigo in Belize. Miss Hortense has had a stroke and is gravely ill. She is with her family in Punta Gorda and is preparing to pass over. If you would like to join in lighting a white candle for her and praying for a peaceful passing.....
Let me tell you about Miss Hortense. She is a tiny lady of about 90 something. Maybe 5 feet tall and less than 100 pounds soaking wet. She was a village midwife in Belize bringing babies into the world and caring for women and children. She raised 16 children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. When I first met her she was raising the last one-an infant great-grandchild (which by the way she was breast feeding-"that mix up milk is too expensive, geel"). I remember the first time I met her-she gave me my first Maya Abdominal Massage treatment at Rosita Arvigo's Ix Chel Farm in the Cayo Distrist of Belize. When she sunk those little hands into your abdomen you knew that her size was just an illusion-here was a big woman, a big healer! But, oh was she fun and funny! Once she caught me putting a coke into the frig at Ix Chel....finding a coke there was no small feat and I was so proud of myself and so excited! "Geel, what you doin?" she screeched! What followed was a list of dire warnings and predictions about what Rosita would do if she found one of "those things" in her frig....so much for my beloved coke. We poured it out and she helped me hide the can...and it was all worth it because then she took me out to her chair by the kitchen door where we talked and laughed while she smoked. Miss Hortense made several trips to the US before she was declared "undesirable" or something by the customs people and barred from returning here (she was in her 80s when she proved so troublesome to some customs officer that she was barred). But, on this day the word has gone out that we are losing this beautiful elder and all over the WORLD...and I mean world as she has students in every country just about...we are all remembering our special times with her and the funny Miss Hortense stories we know. We are looking at our hands as we perform Maya Abdominal Massage on another woman or do our self care and see Miss Hortense's hands gently holding ours and shaping the movements. And we are carrying forth what she taught us by teaching others. All of this from a unassuming woman in a small village in Punta Gorda, Belize....one person can make a difference.

In addition to what is posted on the header, the purpose of this blog also:

To share my interest in "the people's medicine." The traditional care provided by Village Doctors, Shaman, Midwives and Grannies. It is important to learn from our traditional healers and to honor their ways. Time is running, we are losing these elders and their sacred knowledge. I hope to be able to learn and share what I learn. Finally, I am a fan of journaling what I post here is for myself as much as it is to share. If you enjoy what you are reading, read on....if not, feel free to hit the exit button because I will write what I feel moved to write.