Greetings from Buckland, Alaska!
I don’t really have time to write an extensive blog entry today because life is full. Since leaving Salem July 23, I have moved out of the Kotzebue house to the Buckland house, hauled eight thousand plastic totes from the post office to the Buckland house and tried to unpack them. I ate moose and tundra blueberries (for the first time) at my principal’s house my first night in town. The next night back to the principal's for cinnamon buns. I tell you life is good here!
On the August 1, I went to Anchorage to fill up those same totes with food and household items. I attended Father Oleksa’s “Communicating Across Cultures” class for my Alaska teaching license. He is a storyteller so it was completely enjoyable. I stayed with Lisa, my friend of over 40 years, and her kids in Anchorage. It is always good to see them.
Then the serious fun began. I ate moose again with tundra blueberry pie, and this time I picked the blueberries myself! It was fabulously fun! I lacked a recipe and cornstarch for the pie but it turned out pretty tasty. Today it is very good and I feel like walking around to all the other teachers’ houses to let them taste it now that it has matured.
So far the school staff has gotten together for meals, coffee (usually with cookies), blueberry picking, and carpooling (or Hondapooling) to the post office. Today I took a spin on the tundra and many kids waved and talked with me and we are still over a week out from the first day of school! The atmosphere in Buckland is warm and welcoming. I feel honored and delighted to be here. I’ll get some photos posted as soon as I get internet and some time!
I don’t really have time to write an extensive blog entry today because life is full. Since leaving Salem July 23, I have moved out of the Kotzebue house to the Buckland house, hauled eight thousand plastic totes from the post office to the Buckland house and tried to unpack them. I ate moose and tundra blueberries (for the first time) at my principal’s house my first night in town. The next night back to the principal's for cinnamon buns. I tell you life is good here!
On the August 1, I went to Anchorage to fill up those same totes with food and household items. I attended Father Oleksa’s “Communicating Across Cultures” class for my Alaska teaching license. He is a storyteller so it was completely enjoyable. I stayed with Lisa, my friend of over 40 years, and her kids in Anchorage. It is always good to see them.
Then the serious fun began. I ate moose again with tundra blueberry pie, and this time I picked the blueberries myself! It was fabulously fun! I lacked a recipe and cornstarch for the pie but it turned out pretty tasty. Today it is very good and I feel like walking around to all the other teachers’ houses to let them taste it now that it has matured.
So far the school staff has gotten together for meals, coffee (usually with cookies), blueberry picking, and carpooling (or Hondapooling) to the post office. Today I took a spin on the tundra and many kids waved and talked with me and we are still over a week out from the first day of school! The atmosphere in Buckland is warm and welcoming. I feel honored and delighted to be here. I’ll get some photos posted as soon as I get internet and some time!