HAPPY NEW YEAR.....well, ok, it's a little early-at least in AK where it is 8:37. It's 11:37 in Texas as I write this and the evening of January 1 in New Zealand. I am not even real sure what time it is in California-maybe 9:37. We are a spread out bunch!
I kind of went wild earlier this evening-I celebrated the evening with a DIET PEPSI. Oh, my gosh...did it ever taste good! I know I gave those up for a really good reason and I am not going to start the habit again...but, I'll tell you it was bliss. And I had way too much white chocolate cherry bread.
Then I gave myself a good shake and settled back down into being a responsible adult! I called Mike and had a nice long talk with him.
Then I curled up on the couch and watched the most inspiring "movie" I've seen in a very long time....it was The Secret. As they were rolling the credits I heard a noise and ran to the window to see the start of the most beautiful fire works display! It was wonderful! Like you see on TV. The fireworks were continuous and they filled the sky with ever color you can imagine! The timing seemed perfect-at the end of a movie that needed to end with fireworks! (Run, don't walk to your nearest DVD store and get this movie-it can change your life!).
The fireworks here were timed to start at midnight in New York so by 8:30 they were over. A good thing for those of us who won't make it until midnight.
I just finished a nice long chat with Brandon in New Zealand via the wonders of Skype. That is always a pleasure-he has the wisdom of an old soul. I am truly blessed to have such a son!
And that blessing is multiplied by his cute and funny wife and now a new little soul on the way!
Yesterday during my reading the psychic said I had lots of guides around me and they were laughing and joyful....that is how my life feels to me. Full of joy and gratitude for friends, family, the beauty of Mother Earth and the blessings of my path!!!
I am looking forward with such joy and excitment to this New Year of 2007-a new grandbaby, a summer in Alaska, a trip to New Zealand to see the kids and the new baby, and the birthing of my new business!
So, as I sit here looking out the windows of this wonderful old home, watching the people walk by, listening to the cat snore, I am filled with gratitude and am wishing you and yours
A VERY HAPPY, JOYFILLED, NEW YEAR OF 2007-MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS AND ASPIRATIONS BE REALIZED AND YOUR LIFE FILLED WITH GOOD FOOD, GOOD FRIENDS, AND GOOD TIMES!!!!
(check back tomorrow for pictures of ice skaters at the lagoon)

Guess What the Weather is Doing??? I
f you guessed snowing you would be right! I am learning the weather people always seem about 48 hours behind on the forecast...they forecasted a blizzard with 8 inch snow fall a couple of days ago but it we've only had scattered flurries. That is until I got out this evening to go to a reading I had scheduled-the blizzard hit while I was on New Seward Highway....very scary, for a time I couldn't see anything! However, with the help and protection of my angels and guides I made it to my destination!!! By the time I finished with my reading it had settled to a slow and steady snow fall!
I am now sitting in this wonderful and cozy house eating reindeer sausage, drinking a little dark ale and chatting with you while I watch the snow. I have a treat waiting for after the sausage-white chocolate cherry bread from the bread bakery!!! Thank goodness they only make it at Christmas!!
I'm brewing a little tea (a Christmas present from Betty!) to go with it.
For those of you who aren't into my woo-woo side you can sign off now-for the rest of you I have to share something from my reading. The psychic said I had lots of guides around me and they were laughing and joyfully sharing in the fun I am having. The snow and the beauty of Alaska has brought me much joy!
The second thing I will share briefly is that I was very much encouraged to move forward with recommittment to my dream to open my own business when I return home. Spirit even named the business in the drive home in the snow-Hygiea Healing Center or The Hygiea Center (not sure which). I had to laugh at the name when it was given to me because that was the name of our student health center at TWU when I was in undergrad school. There is something about my bringing the ancient healing ways together with modern medicine to help people in their journey toward wellness of body, mind and spirit. That is all I got but I was happy with it as a start!
The card portion of the reading indicated this was in the incubation stage and it was suggested that I pick up a book on small business for dummies or something. I did and I am looking forward to studying it! I might even take a course.
Changing subjects-it is just beautiful outside! The snow is so light! You can almost blow it off the car with your breath...and it is so white, it glitters as it lays on the ground under the streetlight.
So, I lift my ale in a toast to all of you...wishing you were here to experience the beauty and grandeur of the last frontier!!! As always I am missing you and sending lots of loving energy your way.

Gettin' in shape......I woke up again this morning at 5 to go to the YMCA for the water aerobics class. I actually enjoyed today. It's all in the equipment! Yesterday I had to haul everything around in my arms and I was grossed out by the floor...after work yesterday I set out to find a gym bag and some shoes. So, this morning I was all outfitted with my bag I packed last night and my new red crocs. Made everything much easier-I only made one trip to the car and I was ready to go!
Also it might have helped that I started the car ahead so it was warm...and I got in the sauna and warmed up after coming out of the pool...and it was 23 instead of 0 degrees outside. Being warm helps!
Broke my tooth this morning so I had to ask around for the name of a dentist. So, now I have to go to a new, unknown dentist and you know how terrified I am of dentists!!! This is veryyyy, veryyy traumatic....I wish I could fly home and let Dr. Hoffer take care of me!

CHRISTMAS IS OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR! Back to work tomorrow (thank goodness-we don't get paid for all these holidays the clinic gets-advantage of being a full time employee instead of a traveler!)...but, the time off has been nice and the Christmas celebrations were fun. Today was a quiet day. I got up and cleaned the kitchen and did the laundry. Then I got out among the snow flakes (it snowed on and off all day-not much in terms of accumulation) and did some errands. I picked up a humidifier and then went to a bookstore I have been wanting to get to-I found 3 old favorite books by people who have been teachers of mine at one time or another. I love used book stores-beside finding good deals you can find old books that are just treasures!
I just got back from 2 hours at the YMCA-I guess I'll join. I really like the Captain Cook Hotel health club better but I am too intimidated by the snooty skinny broads to go there. I went yesterday in my sloppy clothes with my hair in a nest and discovered this is one of those places where the women apparently buy designer workout clothes and have their hair and make-up done to exercise. That lets me out-they don't make designer workout clothes for size Plus and Plus and Plus and more Pluses!
So, tonight I went to the YMCA-talk about the other end of the spectrum! But, I did not feel intimidated-these were regular folks! I tried not to think about my bare feet on the gross, wet floor and I am having to work up to using the shower but I feel comfortable there so I'll go! Also one of the other travelers, Kathleen, goes there and working out with someone to hold you accountable for showing up always works better for me! After all I have spent almost 3 months putting it off!!!
So, 6:15 in the morning at the YMCA for water aerobics! Be there or be square!
I'm heading downstairs to my warm, cozy room for the night-it's cold up here in the main house. I'm gonna curl up with a good book and veg for the rest of the evening!
Have a good one!

It's 9:30 and dawn is breaking in Anchorage.....the sky is gray and the snow is white and the light outside is a soft grayish color...no movement except for a billion birds flying around the house. There is a beautiful surreal look to Alaska this morning....even nature has the post holiday blahs but on Her it is beautiful!

Christmas Day is over....it's 11:00pm. It was a long but fun day! I got up and baked a couple of pies and everyone started arriving.....there were 8 of us....plenty of food! We ate and talked and ate and talked for about 5 or so hours. It was fun to get to know the other travelers a little better-we've planned to go on a dog sled ride and a winter cruise together in the near future. They are a fun bunch! Kathleen stayed to help me clean up and we talked and visited the night away! After a few hours I remembered that Joanne had the Walton Christmas show-The Homecoming. So we dug some food back out, filled our plates and sat down at the TV to watch it-how nice to end Christmas with a good old fashion Christmas show about family and being together! Made me resolve to be with my family next Christmas! Although I will say this was a fun Christmas surrounded by friends and I really enjoyed it! And it was a beautiful white Christmas!!! The only thing I wished was different was that I didn't get a chance to call Mike back or to return Debbie's Skype after she called during the party.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE FROM ALASKA...where we are having a white Christmas. It's just beautiful here! We had about 8-10 inches of snow the first of the week and about a foot from 4pm until after 4am this morning. I am attaching some pictures-the first 4 or 5 are from last night while it was snowing. If you look at picture number 4, I think, of the light shining through the trees you can see how hard the snow was falling! You may wonder about some of the pictures I took-look closely and you can see that those are pictures of my snow shoveling efforts! I am hoping you notice how deep the snow is and how much I shoveled-I am angeling for some ohhhing and awing and general comments of admiration here! This was, after all, my first big snow and I think I did pretty well....I did the drive and was working on the sidewalk-I had about 12 inches (no kidding) left when the neighbor with the great snow blowing maching (looks like a lawn mower sort of or a tiller) saw me and told me he was going to do the sidewalk...."I always try to do the walk for them." So, he went back and redid the walk which made it a little neater-those snow blowers make straight wall out of the snow on the sides of the walk instead of the messy mounds that my shoveling makes! However, this Alaska man saw the drive and said, "you really did a big job back there." So, there you are-it WAS as big a job as I thought it was....I thought maybe I was just a whimp! I took some pictures of the big evergreens with snow on them-who needs a flocked Christmas tree??? Some places have lights on theirs and it really looks like the prettiest flocked tree you've ever seen!
There is lots of snow removal going on this afternoon-people out with various types of equipment shoveling side walks and drives and alleys (haven't see the snow plow today)...there are people with shovels (like me) and with snow blowers (like neighbor Barry) and I even saw one guy on a camo 4 wheel all terrain vehicle with a blade on the front doing his sidewalk....and, of course, it seems like ever truck in Anchorage is outfitted with a blade which they drive around with all winter.
And then, of course, all of this snow has to be removed. I hadn't thought too much about that until about 20 minutes ago when I watched a parade of various kinds of trucks drive by each filled with snow. The were marked "Doug's excavation," "Valley excavation," etc. They were a motley crew! About the same time I saw a similiar parade going on the next street over (I caught sight of them down the alley)....only these all appeared to be empty. Since they all seemed to be heading downtown I wonder if they dump all of the snow onto Cook's Inlet until the breakup.
Well, I have a newly released dance movie I actually bought and that is the afternoon's entertainment!! I am craving Mike's chocolate chip cookies and a Diet Pepsi (which is no longer a part of my life!) to go with the movie....I guess I'll settle for some Chamomile and Lavender herbal tea and a square of dark chocolate!
I hope you enjoy the snow pictures and know this white Christmas would be more fun with you here!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS MOST BELOVED ONES!!!!!

Hello...I have been baby sitting and cut off from my major form of communication-the computer. Of course, I haven't heard from many people....if it weren't for ads my e-mail would be empty and if it weren't for Donna and Suzanne my blogs would be too! But, still I check everything several times a day and it is a thrill to find something on my blog or the Logan's or an e-mail message-I got several fun cards from Julie-she sends the greatest cards!!!
I have gotten some Christmas presents and I am chomping at the bit to open them -thanks Betty and the Logans and my sweetie! My mama got me a aromatherapy humidifier...as soon as I get to the store to get it....it started snowing hard and I decided to come home!!! I have something to look forward to on Tuesday! I'll go to my favorite New Age store and get my new humidifier.
I took some pictures of the new place and thought I would post them. Go to www.picasaweb.google.com/dancingwithherbs/MyNewAbode to see the pictures.
Hope you have plans for a very Merry Christmas!

WE'RE HAVING A BLIZZARD!!!!!
It's snowing really hard and has been all day (it's noon now). Snow is piling up...I don't know how much snow we've had-I'll have to update that report along with a picture as soon as I can! It's hard to get a picture during the week since I am at work during the few precious hours of daylight. WHAT FUN!

More snow for Anchorage.....we got 3-5 inches in the Anchorage bowl today and the predictions are for a larger storm on Wednesday....if the storm stays on track we can get anywhere between 5 and 10 inches of snow....YEE-HAW!!!! Talk about a white Christmas!

A White Christmas in Alaska....it has been snowing hard all day. I think we've had 4-6 inches. I am so glad to see new snow. The rain a week or so ago had melted a lot of it and the rest was looking dirty and yucky. Today is beautiful!!

I am mostly moved into my new home....I have a really nice landlady/roomie and a very friendly cat. The cat has great energy and is a real lovey feline! I celebrated by going out to dinner with Jane to The Glacier Brewhouse and having the most wonderful meal!! It was venison served medium over a bed of Spinach and red peppers (that is what the menu said it was actually new potatoes) and a great sauce with some type of berries (whole) scattered in the sauce. Accompanied by a merlot and followed by creme brulee-WONDERFUL!!!!
I'll get pictures soon-have to finish unpacking and then crash tonight!

It's moving day....how on earth did I get everything into two suitcases??!!?? So, new rules...anyone who comes to Alaska to visit me has to bring and extra empty suitcase! That is if anyone comes?

It's snowing glitter!!! I don't really understand the science but it has something to do with fog and crystalizing, etc. But, the magic is that it is snowing glitter!!! I am not lying about this...or even kidding....it looks just like glitter is falling from the sky. BEAUTIFUL!

The magic of the aurora borialis......WOW! What a night! I met up with my guide and aurora expert, Peter, to set off on a wonderful adventure....everyone else having called to say they couldn't make it!
We headed North on the Glenn Highway to just past Eagle River and turned off on to a road to a lake. The first thing I noticed as Peter turned off into a parking lot to see if he could see any activity," was a sign that said "Dog Sled Trail." There I encountered by first unexpected treat....a man with a sled with his dogs still hitched to it. He had obviously finished the trail and was preparing to unhitch them and load them in the trailer he had on his truck. It was dark but I could see them waiting and the sled behind them-what a treat!
Peter felt that there was enough activity to warrant traveling on down the road to the lake (there was doubt because of the growing cloud cover). How beautiful. As we drove down the road the trees and bushes on the side of the road twinkled when the headlights hit them like they were covered with thousands of tiny diamonds! The snow sparkled like glitter had been sprinkled on the ground! It was breath-takingly beautiful.
Then we arrived at the lake and I got my second treat-I got to walk on water. Well, not really water but a frozen lake. I was warned that the ice would make a creaking or cracking sound but not to be concerned-the lake was frozen solid and that is just the noise of the ice moving. I was disappointed because it did not sing at all while I was there.
And the final treat-the lights. Peter was disappointed and told me that it wasn't that good because of the cloud cover but I, having never seen them at all, thought it was great. There was a luminous pink color which was streaked across the sky and could be see pulsing. That actually was in the south....the northern sky was cloudy but later the clouds seem to raise off of the horizon and you could see a strip of really, really bright white light on the horizon. It was just beautiful!
And, of course, all of this was viewed while standing in the middle of a lake surrounded by trees with the mountains to the east-their snow covered tops looked like a big white wave across the eastern sky. And the huge falling stars!!!
And accompanied by conversation pondering the BIG questions of life-what is the big question? Standing in the middle of a frozen lake watching pink pulsing lights in the sky seem to beg consideration of life's questions....who am I....how do I fit in all of this?
I can answer one of life's questions: don't put your chocolate in the same pocket as your hand warmers!

Northern Lights.....the level tonight is high plus....very, very best chance of seeing the lights. Except clouds started coming in about an hour ago!!! Anyway, a carload of us are headed about 30 minutes out of town to a dark place in hopes of seeing lights! I have stuffed my body into every warm thing I own-I can hardly move but my eyes work and that's all that counts! I'll report when I get back....keep your fingers crossed!!!!

INTRODUCING: (drum roll please)

Baby Logan....age 10 weeks.

Here is the first picture of my new grandbaby, currently referred to as pickle (maybe because (s)he is about the size of one!).

You can see his/her little head better in the second picture but no problem see the arm and knee in either!

Yep! Sometime in mid-July I will be the grandmother of a new little Kiwi. (S)he will be about a month old the first time I visit in New Zealand. Can't wait!

A VISIT TO WILDBERRY ALASKA PRODUCTS Merry Christmas from Alaska! Home of a white Christmas and chocolate waterfalls!

I told you Alaska was great!! The streets aren't lined with gold but the waterfalls run chocolate!


Happy Holidays from me and my friend, Moose! We hope your holidays are filled with lots and lots of chocolate!!!!! And fun with friends and family!

WEATHER IN ALASKA.....what a beautiful morning I woke up to. It was snowing with huge, soft, wet flakes (it's hard to call some of them flakes they were more like small snow balls falling from the ground and splatting on my face and in my eyes because I couldn't stop looking up at the snow).
I went to the lake by the hospital to walk and it was like walking in a winter wonder land! Of course, it was still dark at 8am (not light now until closer to 9:30) but with the snow on the ground it was really light.....the path through the snow covered trees was so beautiful with the heavy snow falling. It was so quiet and the lake was a big white snowy field in the middle of the forest and it glowed in a white light !!! Unbelievable!!!!! This is the most beautiful place imaginable!
Then I had to leave my winter wonderland and go Christmas shopping....it was just great! I first went to Fred Myers only to find there were few people there, I made my purchase and left without even standing in line. Next to the Native Heritage Center, picked up what I wanted, paid and left-just me and one other woman in the shop. On to the Ulu factory to get Mike a ulu (don't worry he doesn't read my blogs so I'm not giving away any secrets)....I was the only one in there until I was ready to leave and then a couple and a family came in.
Would have been great had I stopped there....but, no I decided I had to have some beads for a project I am working on. Off to my favorite bead shop that I hardly ever buy anything at because of the prices.....but, the shop keeper is a fascinating woman who is leaving after Christmas to go to West Africa until March! The shop is actually "owned" by a beautiful Irish Setter that meets you at the door-I just love that dog! I looked, couldn't decide what I wanted so I finally left-only to get into some major traffic jam because of street repairs. Jane called and wanted to meet for lunch (at 2pm, so I was ready to forget my resolve not to eat out and eat anything, anywhere). The place we decide to meet at was closed so more driving around Anchorage to find another place. More traffic. Finally...lunch at Appleby's and a surprise when Jane said she was treating-the second time in two days someone bought me lunch. (Hey, Brandon, I am receiving abundance now!!!) By the time we finished eating it was 3 and the sun was setting! And I still had one more bead shop to visit!!!! Finally, I headed home at 4;30 or 5ish.....owwww, my feet hurt!
The weather is warm this weekend. It has warmed up to the mid to upper 20s in the night and mid 30s (above freezing) during the day! Result.....yucky, wet, mushy!
Have a good weekend!

According to the weather service the temperature in Alaska and Abilene are the same at this moment. The weather bug on my computer gives the Abilene temp as 32 and when I checked the web for the Alaska temp it says 32 also. However, I will say that my car said 46 when I left work at 8-I went to eat with one of the travelers and when I left the resturant it said 41 at 10 pm. It is wet, mushy, and yucky here! I want more snow!!! And temperatures cold enough to keep the snow from melting....of course, now when it freezes it will be a real mess because everything, roads included are wet from melting ice and snow.

This is a great three story house overlooking Cook Inlet.....thought I'd share it with you even though I have no idea who it belongs to :-)
Below is Cook Inlet. I'm afraid I couldn't get the pictures to really show the ice. It was cloudy-I'm not sure it would have been a lot better if the sun was shining. The inlet is real icey and then out in the middle you can see the water moving. The foreground is ice chunks...the little row boats and the tug boat are frozen into the water. Really neat!!!
After I left there something was falling from the sky-in Texas we would have called it hail...it was about pea size but slightly more mushy. However, it held it's shape for a while.
I'm going up to Palmer to meet with an herbalist on Saturday...I hope to get a winter picture of Mirror Lake. It is really pretty.

HOME, SWEET HOME, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA..............
This is a picture of my new home in Anchorage.....I am renting a room from a lovely young woman, Joanne. I think that is the window to my room peeking over the fence in the first picture...below the front set of windows. A really great homey place! Brandon, doesn't it remind you of Michelle Hailey's house. It does me-even more so inside where it is warm, welcoming, slightly funky and with a personality all it's own. I am looking forward to moving around the 15th of December.

Having a good weekend???? I have found a home to move into-and it really is a home. Oddly enough I can see the house from my apartment window!
I've given up two things that I was sure I never would-my bath tub and heated garage....but I've gained much in return. First the price is just wonderful; the house is funky, warm, homey, and has so much personality I expect it to talk to me; and finally, the landlady is a soul sister! I am sure I will be very happy there and I will get you pictures when possible. I will not be moving for 2 weeks.
Jane moved across town this weekend so I went over in the late afternoon to see her new place and take a walk with her and the girls. As was standing in the entry and looked up to see a moose walking down the street and then into someone's backyard. So, off we went for the walk and on the way back there was a really big bull moose standing on the side of the path. He didn't seem to notice us-for that I am glad!
I've been to the Native Heritage Museum Craft show, out to eat and to the grocery store so I am tired out!!!! I am planning to take my camera for an outing tomorrow up to Cook's Outlet...so maybe some good pictures for you.

Winter....We had about 5 inches of snow yesterday. I haven't left the apartment yet-so, I am admiring the winter from my window.

It's snowing but not as much as I had hoped. This was a cold, dry November....I am hoping for more snow in December.