Uuma's

Uuma's, Iluq's, Sistaloon's.

Its one and the same. Our family and friends are important to us. Eskimo's have many words for family and friends, many words for snow...but no word for goodbye. I'm sure it is on purpose too.



Clara and Kaisa are cousins. They call each other "BFF." The two of them together is great. Add one more, and its fighting time!

We call them Chocolate and Vanilla. Even though my sister's much whiter than I, her daughter is one Chocolate girl! (The girls call my mom Caramel!)



My parents loved having them in Chickaloon. My sister and I loved that they're able to do what we did as kids. They barked trees, cut wood, went fishing, slept in sleeping bags, drove around, let off fireworks, pumped water from the well and generally ran around the woods together...just like we used to do. We grew up "helping our grandpa" and they're growing up "helping their grandpa!"



My hope for them is that they stay close. I have 74 first cousins, and I'd consider myself close-ish, but probably not close enough to them. I wish I would have stayed closer. I still know birthday's, and names, and Inupiaq names, etc, but we're not BFF's like we used to be.

Here are a couple of my cousins and their dad, who is fighting cancer the second time around. So, please pray for them. They joined us in Chickaloon for a day of relaxing and roasting hotdogs.



So, to all my uuma's, sistaloons, Iluq, and Cushinsh...I love you.

Feeling Light Headed

Ok, so we can't all look like Kathrine Heigl, but let me tell you, our hair can! Or...can't. Whatever.



Unless you don't pay attention to FB, or you're lying under a rock hungover, you should know by now that I cut my hair.

I know, I know, people cut their hair all the time. But...not when you're MAIJA FREAKIN LUKIN, they don't! I am my hair. I am so not that India Arie song...I AM MY HAIR. And I loved it.



But it didn't love me back. So, like all things that don't have any use for me (dogs included) I got rid of it. My husband, shoot, most people in fact, haven't seen me with short hair.

I got a wild hair (pun intended) and decided that it was time to snip away. I have a thick head of hair...I don't like to fix it, or mess with it. Shoot, my hair is lucky to see the broad side of some conditioner most days. I figured a "Katherine Heigl from 27 dresses" look would do for me. Besides, she's got a rounder face, and it works for her! Why couldn't it work for me?!



So, I printed out the photo above, and Rita took me to Country Cutts in Palmer. I met a nice gal with some wicked cool tattos, and she said she'd LOVE TO CUT MY HAIR OFF.

I asked her if it was long enough to donate to Locks of Love and she laughed. I thought..."Oh crap, its not long enough!" But...she was laughing because of how much I wanted cut off. Not a normal daily happening around Palmer I guess.



I am happy to report, that I did NOT cry. I just cringed when she took away my orangy veil of goodness. Seriously folks, I could FEEL it being cut off my body, it was THAT dramatic. Shoot, I even busted out in hives.

My nice tattoed hair thief cut my beloved pony tail off, she asked if I had been experiencing headaches, and neck pain. I said, "Of course I have headaches, but I think I'm allergic to my job. Oh and I have four kids, two dogs, and 12 ducks..."



After busting out laughing, she told me that my hair was so thick and heavy, that she's surprised I hadn't gotten it cut before. But, remember...I AM MY HAIR. That's how people know me. Long hair, purple-ish glasses...real cool. yeah, that's me.

Man...maybe I'll even change my glasses now. I know Saima will be thrilled. She's been trying to get me to get rid of my $8.00 glasses FOREVER. Yes, I said eight bucks. Lenses included. Cause I'm a cool, thrify shopper like that.



Anyway. So, miraculously, I don't look like Katherine Heigl, and the hair thief cut off about 4 inches more than I thought was right, and my hives are still around. But, you know what?

I like it. And so does my husband, so I'm OK with that!

Ohhh, the Debauchery!

A couple of super days in Palmer, Anchorage and Chickaloon.

A quick note so ya'll don't think I'm ignoring you.

1. Got my hair cut.



2. Went to watch the Chippendale's.



4. Watched "My sister's keeper."

5. Spent the day in Chickaloon.

More information to come. Its nine pm in AK, and we need to get our fish frozen, and pack up so we can leave to the airport at 3:30 in the morning, so I can make it to work at 8:00 am tomorrow.

I swear I'm not avoiding you!

Sisterly Love...

When you have nothing else to post, talk about your family! Since all my kids are gone, and all my husband wants to do is smoke and can fish, I have my sisters to fall back on!



They're my biggest fans, my toughest critics, my place to vent, and my reason for venting.

They're my sisters. They, and I have a real knack for saying, I LOVE YOU and I HATE YOU in the same sentence, I'd seriously kill for them.



Both my sisters have been involved in fights, growing up, where the fight-ors have said, "My dad/brother is gonna beat you up..." And simply with the answer, "Well, I'm going to tell my sister..." did the fight-ors subside!



I mean...I'm THAT good! haha. I got their backs. And really, come to think of it, I've never been in a girl fight either, but only cause I have some wicked words and a fast tongue did they stop.



My sisters, no matter how overeggagerative, and annoying, and spoiled they are...are my BFF's. They are my arch rivals, and my ultimate frenemies! We fight, we're jealous, and we love each other no matter what.



I believe my sisters shaped my identity even more than my parents did. They made me a caregiver at a young age, they worried me, they annoyed me. They showed me ultimate and unconditional love.


P.S. Never leave your new digital camera next to the couch, when your sisters are at your house alone. Because when you try to take photos, your memory stick will be full of photos like this one.

I wonder why we compete so much. I have ducks and you have chickens. Maija, Elsa's not keeping your house clean. Elsa, Saima's talking trash about you. Maija, Saima's coming into your house without permission. Saima, Elsa's a witch. It's a darn good thing that I have four kids, and Saima only has one. Elsa (THANK YOU ELA) has NONE. Cause we'd compete even more.

Anyway, I'd suggest hanging out with your sisters more often than not. When I left at age 18, my sisters were the only people I missed...and couldn't wait to get back to.



So...if you have sisters, I'd recommend calling them, right this very moment, to just say, "HI!" And do it quick. You know, before your sister does!

Snap, Crackle & Pop!

Its the sound of deliciousness when it's coming from your cereal bowl. But, when you're yanking out your ponytail, not so much.

What to do? What to DO?! I know my hair has been growing steadily since I chopped it all off and sent the ponytail to Locks for Love last February...but Damn! I hadn't realized it was THIS long.

Pay no attention to the shine...I was just playing softball. By the way, this picture was taken at 11:00 p.m. when the sun directly hits our living room from the front windows.

For the past, oh… 15 years, I’ve let my hair grow, cut it, sent it out, let it grow, cut it, etc…so If you see little kids with orangy brown hair that’s never been dyed, or processed, its probably from me…its kinda wiry too.

As I sat in a staff meeting yesterday, I noticed something…A split end. One. Ugh…time to cut my hair. If you know me, I don’t use “product” in my hair, its lucky enough to taste conditioner once in a while. Shoot, I even use SOAP on it, GASP! You know cause I’m L.A.Z.Y! Oh yeah, my hair dryer from like 1995 would like to be adopted to someone who might use him more than once in three years.

Its long, I want it short. Cut it, cry and wish I could press rewind to make it grow back. I can’t dye it, as I’m allergic to EVERYTHING…so I’m stuck in this brown rut of nothingness until I either cut it, or fix it (pshyeah right!).

I wonder if obsessive-compulsive behavior is a side effect of having hair. I see long hair, short hair, spiky hair, and as facebook told me, I have NERDY hair…I’ve seen purple hair, no hair (DEAN!), and multicolored hair.


My very own coffee...made by ME, of course!

As I sit here staring at my coffee, I wonder...if somewhere out there, there’s a coffee treatment for hair. By the way, I like my coffee with a lot of milk, some caramel syrup and which chocolate powder. So…I doubt I’ll be Coffee-izing my hair anytime soon!

It’s all just not for me. I’m simple. I like long hair, but when you have a thick mane like I do, it’s HEAVY. I don’t like to fix it, other than to put it in a bun, or ponytail, with METAL clasps, GASP! I use markers, pens, pencils, sticks, and even scissors to hold my hair in a bun. Is it wrong to want long hair, but not want it to, you know, touch you anywhere?!

Any suggestions?! Here are my boundaries: Long enough for a ponytail, no bangs, no color, wash and go, and no use of products, or electronics (dryer, curling iron, etc).


P.S. those highlights...au natural. Courtesy of the sun and being a half-breed!

The long and short of it, (hyuk, yuk!) is that when you're pulling hair out of your butt crack.…its time for a cut!

There's no place like home...when you're all alone.

When you have four kids, two dogs, a slew of ducks, and ten thousand mosquitoes, you're never REALLY alone. But today, for the first time, probably, EVER, I'm all alone!


When we were poor, I used to play with bluebells, and they were my smurfs, I made houses, and toys, and boats for them. My best friends bluebells.

My husband, and ALL the kids are gone. Koy is at camp Sisualik with the local tribe, Kaisa is now in the hands of my parents, going to Chickaloon, Max and Maddie are on their way to Ketchikan for a wedding, and Dean is in Anchorage on a grocery shopping day-trip.


The best place on earth. The New Cabin, which I was informed was now called, "the Cabin!"

Since I'm self-proclaimed co-dependent, I stayed during lunch and updated Facebook, sent a bunch of coffee smiles, and checked out blogs like a mad man!


The Commie Cabin. Don't know why its called that, only that its the name!

Off to internet browse! Oh look, a pretty gold chain with a heart/peace sign/bird hanging from it. Oooohhh, glass dominos. Yep, I need a new pair of jeans. (Even though it is actually 70 degrees outside today) (Which, by the way, means that for 24 hours, it will be this hot...take THAT!)


My parents new Mansion. Log Cabin built one log at a time. Cut, scraped and milled by hand. Man, my dad is GOOD.

I guess tonight, I'll test out a bunch of recipe's for the Food Competition in early July. My co-workers will be happy tomorrow when I come in with Blueberry Coffee cake, Seafood Chowder, Seafood Ciopinni, and Monkey Bread!


When you enter Chickaloon, you'll be greeted by this awesome truck.

It'll just be Dean and I for the rest of the week. I wonder if we'll get ANYTHING done.


My bear Bigfoot. When I was four, I was VERY worried. "What if some ugly little girl comes and plays with him?" My dad said I would be the ONLY Ugly little girl to play with him, so I was OK after that. And he still sits in the same place he did when I sat him there 28 years ago.

What do YOU do when you're home alone and don't want to clean/read/watch TV?!

Old Camera

My husband's newest and bestest friend/toy, is his new iPhone. He upgraded from the Blackberry he previously had, because "his fingers were too big for the little buttons." According to him of course!

By signing another contract with AT&T, he was able to get a killer deal on the iPhone. And I have to say, as grumbly as I was previously, I am loving the new gadget!



Aside from the wi-fi dogfighting (as in AIRPLANES, not dogs) Dean's been prone to these past few days, he did download a ninety nine cent app, called, "Old Camera" that we've been loving.



It takes a great shot, and processes it into an old Black and White photo. The vignette is there, the grainyness is there. It really is cool. I know I could photoshop my photo's to look like this, but I'd rather just take them with the iPhone and marvel at the cool application on the cool gadget!



By the way, this photo of Dean and I in the car, me with my sunglasses on, was taken at 3:45 in the MORNING, after a night out with friends. Yes, I'm wearing my sunglasses at almost 4:00 in the morning.



As yesterday marked Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year in other parts of the country, we still have 24 hours of direct sunlight. At 1:00 am, I was sunbathing on my deck. We will continue to have 24 hours of direct sunlight until July 7th...then the sun will touch the horizon until August 9th. Then, it will finally dip below the horizon for about 4 minutes. It is the coolest sunset/sunrise ever. The next night, it will set completely for 12 minutes, and we will continue to lose about 6-8 minutes per day until mid-December, when it will set completely for about three weeks.



For now...lets enjoy the 4:00 am sunglasses!

Father's day picnic.

Cart full of Picnic Groceries from your only grocery store: $49.89



Ten Gallons of Gasoline and a quart of oil for your boat: $85.45



Three float coats for the kids in the boat: $150.00



Time it takes to get two kids, two almost-adults, and two dogs and two adults ready: 2 hours



A VERY happy Father's Day picnic out on Lockhard Point with your family: Priceless...



For us "northerners" a picnic is an all day ordeal. You have to get food, gas and life jackets. We use the float coats, because its freakin cold in our water, and a regular life jacket is just a vest. We want the entire coat to help keep warm in case the boat sinks for some reason.



We had asked Dean what he wanted for Father's Day, and he simply said, "nice weather, and a boat ride." So, he got the Moshi Alarm clock, an Orvis oilskin hunting hat and a picnic!


Stacey

Kaisa is in Anchorage spending Father's Day with her father, and Koy had to get ready for his weeklong camping trip that the local tribe puts on. The 12-16 year olds go for a week, coincidentally at OUR camp in Sisualik, and learn stuff we learned as kids! My cousin Stacey is running it this year.


Koy finally looked, so I could take a photo.

So, the Lukin kids spent Father's day with their dad all to themselves!



Aside from forgetting the ketchup and utensils, we had an awesome trip. The weather was perfect, and no sooner had Dean commented that we needed a bit more wind to blow the THOUSANDS of mosquitoes away, the breeze picked up enough to blow them away from us!



I, being the cool and resourceful person I am, fashioned a spoon out of some driftwood and we ate some jarred BBQ caribou, hot dogs, and of course, s'mores.





Right now, Dean is snoozing on the couch after a long day outside. The kids are playing Wii and taking turns in the shower, because when you live here, you use 100% deet mosquito dope. And, according to my mom, we must wash it off every day!


See, even I was there!

The high school basketball team also had a game today, which I reffed, where they played the And 1 All Stars from somewhere out of state. It was a show of speed, and dunks, both of which people here are unaccustomed to, so they were happy to pay ten bucks to get in. Of course, when I turned my camera on, it had died out at the picnic, so no photo's of the ballers!


Max says, "Maija, take a picture of my hair, and put it on your blog, and say, 'Max after the boatride'!"
So..."MAX AFTER THE BOATRIDE!"

Happy Father's day to everyone, especially my father and husband. Both of whom I sometimes hate to love, but fully understand the reasoning behind whatever you did to piss me off! Thanks guys for being cool, and outdoorsey...and thanks for making me that way too!

Good stuff

You know all that white king I caught down in KTN? Well, let me just tell you.

It tastes SO GOOD!



Aside from canned King, Smoked King, and King spread...it is great in some King Chowder. Instead of shiifish chowder, we used white king. I used, SERIOUSLY, less than one tablespoon of butter to cook off the onions and garlic, and it was so smooth!



The King's omega-3 fats were so good. I can't even tell you.

And with my new gadget I found at a garage sale (bread maker, hello!) the garlic-potato bread that went along with it was freakin awesome too.



I don't mean to toot my own horn, but MAN, I'm good! Its a good thing my family LOVES fish!