Here is that promised writing from earlier. This is my first writing corner. Bear with me if it doesn't make total sense - I just started writing. I haven't gone back and edited or anything.
Ideas that I can write about:
-Alaska
-teaching
-growing up with a single dad
-trips and travels
-memories with my husband
-college days
-adventures of Kiana (my dog)
-memories with my sister
I think I will begin by writing about Alaska. I always have a difficult time beginning any writing so I am just going to start writing. I was born on a frigid March morning just a few minutes shy of St. Patrick’s day. I don’t remember anything from then on until about when I was three and those memories are quite vague. All I know is that my heart yearns for Alaska and that time in my life when she was my playground. I have few memories of my parents being together. One was when I was about three and dad was chasing me around our pool table in our rent house. Mom was there trying to “save” me and we were all full of giggles. The only other memories that I have are on VHS and when I watch them it makes me sad to see how “happy” my parents really were. I distinctly remember the day my mom left and the fighting, slamming of drawers, and confusing times that followed. I was four when my parents got a divorce. My sister was not even 1-year old yet. My mom remarried and we visited her and my now step-dad often before they were re-stationed to San Antonio, Texas, wherever that was, and my sister and I could only see them a few times in a year.
But here I am getting into my “life” and not really dwelling on Alaska itself. In a word Alaska is breathtaking. I have very many fond moments from there. I remember how my dad would have to plug in the truck every night during the winter and how he would carry us out to the truck each morning before school all wrapped up in our slow gear and several blankets. I also remember how we never really had “snow days” as are so common here in Texas near February or so. I laugh every time we have one, thinking about how we were attending school in sub-zero weather and actually enjoying it outside at recess. This may not be 100% true – your childhood memories are not always so accurate. But still the same, I remember when I moved away from Alaska to California and thinking how different life was.
If you ever wonder what the state bird of Alaska is, it is the Willow Ptarmigan. Beautiful bird that is very unique and definitely the perfect state bird for Alaska. However, if you had seen me growing up and been experiencing Alaska like I was, you would say that the state bird was the . . . MOSQUITO! They are horrible especially during the summer months and they prey on anything and everything in sight. I still have scars from my childhood attacks and can remember that incessant buzzing and it just gives me the chills. Not only were they everywhere, they were HUGE. Like, comparable to Texas, Junebug size sometimes. These ginormous bugs were truly annoying but came with the Alaskan territory.
If I have one thing bad to say about Alaska, it would have to be the annoying mosquitoes. However, alongside those mosquitoes, in much more majesty than they, flew the dragonflies. I see some dragonflies in Texas but not many. When I do see them I am instantly reminded of the beautiful dragonflies of Alaska. During the summer months they were everywhere. They were absolutely beautiful and would fill up the sky with their grace and easiness of flight. Another insect that I found true joy in were the grasshoppers. Now remember I was raised by my dad so I can’t deny that I was a tomboy and just have always gravitated to boys and hanging out with them. I love doing “guy things” – my husband is a lucky man. I had this guy friend that lived right next door to me who would come over and together we would search for grasshoppers. We were horrible to those grasshoppers, doing many different “experiments” with them. They made my experiences in Alaska always interesting and diverting.
I haven’t even mentioned our garden, yet. I feel that I am jumping around sporadically here but this is just how it’s going to be for now. Another beautiful thing about Alaska is the fertile soil that is everywhere. My dad had a greenhouse and rows of plants outside of the greenhouse that were just our pride and joy. Later I found it was not really that difficult to be a great gardener in Alaska – my downfall now that I live in Texas since I tend to kill every plant in sight. We would grow strawberries, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a many other things, as well. There were HUGE. If you ever get a chance, look up produce size in Alaska – it is truly amazing how big things get. Even though it was cool to see cabbages bigger than my little sister, I was much more impressed with the produce that grew outside of our own control: the blueberries and raspberries. Mmmmm, just thinking about them make me feel all good inside. This is yet another thing that I miss about Alaska. Those berries are delicious! No wonder the bears just gobble them up. I would come in from outside with a blue mustache and my dad would just laugh – yummy! Whenever I see them in the produce department here in Texas I get all excited . . . until I see the price tag . . . oh to be back in Alaska-land where I could eat these puppies for free.
Some other things I would like to write about in the future are: fishing, moose, friends, babysitters, ice carvings, my school, and hunting with my dad.
Ideas that I can write about:
-Alaska
-teaching
-growing up with a single dad
-trips and travels
-memories with my husband
-college days
-adventures of Kiana (my dog)
-memories with my sister
I think I will begin by writing about Alaska. I always have a difficult time beginning any writing so I am just going to start writing. I was born on a frigid March morning just a few minutes shy of St. Patrick’s day. I don’t remember anything from then on until about when I was three and those memories are quite vague. All I know is that my heart yearns for Alaska and that time in my life when she was my playground. I have few memories of my parents being together. One was when I was about three and dad was chasing me around our pool table in our rent house. Mom was there trying to “save” me and we were all full of giggles. The only other memories that I have are on VHS and when I watch them it makes me sad to see how “happy” my parents really were. I distinctly remember the day my mom left and the fighting, slamming of drawers, and confusing times that followed. I was four when my parents got a divorce. My sister was not even 1-year old yet. My mom remarried and we visited her and my now step-dad often before they were re-stationed to San Antonio, Texas, wherever that was, and my sister and I could only see them a few times in a year.
But here I am getting into my “life” and not really dwelling on Alaska itself. In a word Alaska is breathtaking. I have very many fond moments from there. I remember how my dad would have to plug in the truck every night during the winter and how he would carry us out to the truck each morning before school all wrapped up in our slow gear and several blankets. I also remember how we never really had “snow days” as are so common here in Texas near February or so. I laugh every time we have one, thinking about how we were attending school in sub-zero weather and actually enjoying it outside at recess. This may not be 100% true – your childhood memories are not always so accurate. But still the same, I remember when I moved away from Alaska to California and thinking how different life was.
If you ever wonder what the state bird of Alaska is, it is the Willow Ptarmigan. Beautiful bird that is very unique and definitely the perfect state bird for Alaska. However, if you had seen me growing up and been experiencing Alaska like I was, you would say that the state bird was the . . . MOSQUITO! They are horrible especially during the summer months and they prey on anything and everything in sight. I still have scars from my childhood attacks and can remember that incessant buzzing and it just gives me the chills. Not only were they everywhere, they were HUGE. Like, comparable to Texas, Junebug size sometimes. These ginormous bugs were truly annoying but came with the Alaskan territory.
If I have one thing bad to say about Alaska, it would have to be the annoying mosquitoes. However, alongside those mosquitoes, in much more majesty than they, flew the dragonflies. I see some dragonflies in Texas but not many. When I do see them I am instantly reminded of the beautiful dragonflies of Alaska. During the summer months they were everywhere. They were absolutely beautiful and would fill up the sky with their grace and easiness of flight. Another insect that I found true joy in were the grasshoppers. Now remember I was raised by my dad so I can’t deny that I was a tomboy and just have always gravitated to boys and hanging out with them. I love doing “guy things” – my husband is a lucky man. I had this guy friend that lived right next door to me who would come over and together we would search for grasshoppers. We were horrible to those grasshoppers, doing many different “experiments” with them. They made my experiences in Alaska always interesting and diverting.
I haven’t even mentioned our garden, yet. I feel that I am jumping around sporadically here but this is just how it’s going to be for now. Another beautiful thing about Alaska is the fertile soil that is everywhere. My dad had a greenhouse and rows of plants outside of the greenhouse that were just our pride and joy. Later I found it was not really that difficult to be a great gardener in Alaska – my downfall now that I live in Texas since I tend to kill every plant in sight. We would grow strawberries, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a many other things, as well. There were HUGE. If you ever get a chance, look up produce size in Alaska – it is truly amazing how big things get. Even though it was cool to see cabbages bigger than my little sister, I was much more impressed with the produce that grew outside of our own control: the blueberries and raspberries. Mmmmm, just thinking about them make me feel all good inside. This is yet another thing that I miss about Alaska. Those berries are delicious! No wonder the bears just gobble them up. I would come in from outside with a blue mustache and my dad would just laugh – yummy! Whenever I see them in the produce department here in Texas I get all excited . . . until I see the price tag . . . oh to be back in Alaska-land where I could eat these puppies for free.
Some other things I would like to write about in the future are: fishing, moose, friends, babysitters, ice carvings, my school, and hunting with my dad.
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