tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22503278818335036092024-03-08T22:30:32.024-09:00FinnskimoFinnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.comBlogger578125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-81283994020291035312014-08-12T07:00:00.000-08:002014-08-12T15:22:04.250-08:00Diabetes RollsMany of you have seen, tried and loved the <a href="http://finnskimo.blogspot.com/2013/01/easiest-cinnamon-rolls-ever.html" target="_blank">Easiest Cinnamon Rolls Ever</a> so I thought I'd show a variation of those rolls. We call them the "dia-BEE-tus" rolls in our house, although they could be called sticky buns. And I make them all the time.<br />
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Follow the basic dough recipe in the link above, or whatever dough recipe you want to use is fine. I always add a little bit of vanilla to my dough when I make these rolls. Because the caramel sauce isn't sugary enough... (hence, the name!)<br />
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Before you place the rolls in the pan, make the following caramel sauce:<br />
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In a pot, I mix:<br />
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1 stick of butter<br />
1 C Brown Sugar<br />
1/4 C Water<br />
After the butter has melted and the brown sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add: <br />
1/4 C Heavy Cream<br />
One glug of corn syrup or honey<br />
Dash of Salt<br />
Mix well, and pour on the bottom of your pan. (I do spray a little bit of oil onto the bottom and sides of the pan first) Spread evenly. Place about 1 C chopped pecans or walnuts on the Caramel Sauce, then proceed with the Roll Recipe, where it says to cut with some dental floss, and place in the pan.<br />
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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Let rolls rise for about 20-30 minutes on the stovetop, until they start to fill the pan. </div>
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned on top. Immediately place another pan on top of the rolls and invert pan of rolls. Enjoy with your morning espresso! (or evening glass of wine.)</div>
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And don't forget to brush your teeth before you go to bed. :)<br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-1706497800986992082014-06-17T12:38:00.000-08:002014-06-17T12:38:01.559-08:00Last Years FishLeftovers. What do we do when we find a bunch of frozen salmon from last year? I seriously hid several fillets last year, only to "lose" them in the freezer, and while rummaging through looking for one last gallon of blueberries, FOUND the fish.<br />
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It was lost but now it's found. Back to leftovers. Leftover sockeye salmon? We smoke them of course! (and then we tease our dog with the smell of smoked fish!)<br />
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Plenty of people ask me how we smoke our fish. If I knew, I'd do it myself, but I don't know how, so my husband always has to smoke the fish. He has a smokehouse he built out of a stainless steel freezer, a hot plate, and a cast iron skillet. We used Peach Wood to smoke this batch, and he has ANOTHER batch going today. Here's how HE makes smoked salmon...<br />
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Gather all your supplies, food trays, knives, and thawed fish.<br />
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Wash, dry and cut your fish into strips.<br />
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Lay them on the trays with a little bit of space between them.<br />
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Salt the fish, and let sit for a while. (Don't ask me how long, because I don't know!)<br />
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Sprinkle tons of brown sugar on them. Apparently the salt and sugar brine, and draw out the moisture, enough so that they aren't too dry when they come out of the smokehouse.<br />
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Here's the tricky part. You know, when you're watching Diners, Drive-In's and Dives, when Guy asks what ingredients are in the "secret" ingredients... and they say, "And some secret ingredient that I can't tell you..." Well, this is that part. Even I don't know what he has in his special tub of secret ingredients. I mean, I know there is some salt, some garlic, pink peppercorn, maybe some paprika? I don't know. Anyway, he generously sprinkles this stuff on too. If you don't have a tub of super special secret stuff like Dean, then I don't know, use some Garlic Salt or something! <br />
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Then, you let the brine sit on them for a few hours, overnight in the fridge is best. It looks all amazing and gooey, and smells good too! <br />
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Place your fish in the smokehouse, which has been heated up for an hour or so, and maintains a constant temperature. Again, I don't know the secret temperature, sorry about that. He likes to hide it from me! We used peach wood and some other kind of wood chips, maybe the jack daniels ones. And I say "we" because I took photos... I helped!<br />
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I don't know how long you have to smoke the fish, until they're done I guess! We hot smoke ours, so I know they're done, and OK to eat without worrying. He can cold smoke, but I prefer the hot smoked fish, so that's mainly what we do. <br />
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So, when they're done your entire neighborhood smells them and happens to come over to visit! haha, Dean loves giving fish and other food he makes away, so we package them up and either eat them or give them to people to taste. <br />
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These are my favorite kind of leftovers!Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-54001832601862448072014-06-15T11:10:00.000-08:002014-06-16T11:11:39.389-08:00NeglectIf this were my child, I'd be charged with neglect. Maybe even abandonment!<br />
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Good thing it's not though, eh. And I get to come back when I remember, "HEY! I have a blog too..." Sorry faithful few readers! But spring, summer and fall in Alaska is so busy, I can't seem to remember where I left my phone, let alone take the time to write a witty blog post. <br />
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Maybe I don't have to be witty, but I don't want to fill it with the same stuff I post on Facebook and Instagram. Which, if you're my friend or follower, you know basically all I do is sew and bake. <br />
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Anywho, a quick synopsis of what Finnskimo has been up to for the last month or so...<br />
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Baking. We have made so many cinnamon rolls it's not funny. But, for a great cause! My 11 year old (baby) was asked to be a part of the 5th-6th grade team to head over to the Alaska Hoops Tournament in Wasilla this year, only to have it cancelled the DAY BEFORE we all left. So her and I took a mini-vacation, because we purchased non-refundable tickets. Boo. But we did manage to bake and sell enough cinnamon rolls to pay for her ticket, and then pay for her "tuition" to attend a different basketball camp. She's 5 foot 4, turned eleven in mid April, so we are pushing her to be a basketball player. Just kidding, we aren't pushing her, I'd be fine if she wanted to be the tallest cheerleader there was, but you know, the scholarships are all in basketball and volleyball! haha.<br />
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We visited my parents self-sustaining cabin in the woods while we were there. I actually left my daughter and niece in Chickaloon with my parents and went back home. They spent a week with them and had a blast. You know, people... I grew up in a shack, and now my parents have this awesome cabin in the woods, powered by wind and solar power, and all I keep thinking is that I lived in a shack and my dad had this ability to build THIS! haha. I mean, he did eventually build a huge house for us, but man, I can't wait to retire to a place like this.<br />
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We went fishing at "twenty-mile" for hooligan. All of us adults spent the required $48 for a hunting/fishing license and caught FIVE little hooligan. But, when you're fishing in a place like this, it's OK. Plus, we needed the license for Kotzebue anyway, because it's fishing season now, and hunting season coming up. We were able to spend some time with my little sister and the babies. (Alice turned ONE while the kids visited them, too!)<br />
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Rea Sunshine came up to Kotzebue to visit for a week while my mom came by for a summer job she does each year, cooking for a subsistence camp. She had a grand time, and was a PERFECT KID (Elsa...) so no matter what my sister says, she's always good at aunties house! haha. <br />
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While Rea was with us, my awesome husband smoked most of "last years" salmon. We ended up finding a few sockeye fillets that I had hidden in the freezer last fall, and tons of chum. We get the ocean chum up here, so they're super good, firm and dark flesh, with perfect silver scales. Not the freaky looking river chum that look sorta like alligators. <br />
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Rea smoked the fish with Dean and every time she came in the house, she said, "Mmmm, SMOKE FISH, SMELLS LIKE UNCLE DEANIE WEENO!" (don't ask us how she came to call him that, we have no idea!) She gave up dessert several times to have more smoked fish. Savage little girl.<br />
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Dean is busy thawing more fish today. We need to "get rid" of the fish in our freezer, and there is literally NO better way than to smoke it all. He's going to smoke it tomorrow while everyone is at work. Even though the fish is good, I still wish I was cutting Ugruk. </div>
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Unfortunately for me (native) and my husband (non-native), he can not go out to the ocean to provide for us, I have to rely on other people to hunt marine mammals for us. "Uncle" Junie used to do for us every year, and now that he's gone, it's been hard to find people to get us an ugruk. Thankfully, Junie's son has been going out to provide for elders, just like his dad used to, and I'm sure we will eventually get one from someone. Hey... WILL TRADE CINNAMON ROLLS for UGRUK! Wonder if that tagline would work! :)</div>
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Happy Spring. (we still have ice and snow, therefore it's still spring here) I'll try not to neglect you guys anymore.</div>
Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-52256937593409046012014-03-20T19:00:00.000-08:002014-03-21T11:57:23.916-08:00Who the hell am I?Quite recently I was asked, "And WHO the hell do you think you are?" by someone who was pretty upset that I hadn't voted in their favor. At the time I smiled, and walked away. I wasn't aware that I was "that popular" to sway so many people with my one or two facebook statuses about the need for change. (I'm not that popular, and I'm pretty sure that person needed a scapegoat, which is why I didn't yell back!)<br />
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But it did get me to thinking. Who am I? Who do I think I am? <br />
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I know I'm a half-breed. I know I'm Finnish and Inupiaq Eskimo. I know my roots, where I come from, where I've been. But, really, right now, who the hell am I?<br />
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Sometimes I'm the one who organizes community Norwegian (Eskimo baseball) games all summer long.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a baker, with crazy superhero skills.<br />
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Sometimes I'm bloody Mary. Quite literally.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a grave digger, who digs final resting places of the last generation of REAL Inupiaq people.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a snowmachine traveler, listening to the sound of pistons burn energy in a vast wilderness untouched by humans.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a drama teacher, who marvels at village kids in a play.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a sourdough hotcake maker who cooks on a coleman stove for 300 hungry people.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a mom who leaves work to take her kids to the Emergency Room, then watches them enjoy their book in footie pajamas, and never wants her kids to grow up.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a food hoarder, who hoards Red Salmon, Shiifish, Kotzebue Salmon, Blackberries, Blueberries, and Cranberries like they're going out of style.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a world traveler who's advocating for the needs of my people. On bumpy flights over the entire United States.<br />
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Sometime I'm just a berry picker who would rather go in a boat to camp to pick berries than across the country in a plane.<br />
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Sometimes I'm the biggest Husky fan you'll ever meet.<br />
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Sometimes I'm an observer of traditions past, friendships that have withstood the evolution of time. <br />
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Sometimes I'm a Birthday Party Planner and make kids bring brooms to the party.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a doughnut maker who closes her eyes to eat one and savor the sourdough doughnuts her aana used to make as a child.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a patron of a tea party with Barbie and horses.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a mukluk maker who cries with every single stitch.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a teacher who teaches her kids how to bake a proper blueberry coffee cake.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a student who watches in earnest as a real professional cuts beaver.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a hunter who cuts meat off of bones.<br />
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Sometimes I'm a wife of the hottest fireman I've met. (Even when it's -40 below outside) <br />
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Sometimes I'm just me. :)<br />
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Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-52661160390979751012014-02-20T20:05:00.000-09:002014-02-21T15:05:33.028-09:00AnchorsA few days ago, my sister asked me to design a tattoo using an anchor, similar to the ones our grandfather, uncles and dad used in their boats and for fishing. She was simple in the request. Beach grass, anchor, and longitude and latitude for our Sisualik camp. Representing us kids being anchored there in roots and culture.<br />
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So, I drew. And drew, and erased, and drew... and then I burst into tears. <br />
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Because, I want it to be perfect. I want it to represent my childhood. My happy, healthy, spoiled by my grandparents childhood. So buried memories swamped my emotional state and the tears came. I wanted to remember everything good about Sisualik. I wanted to draw everything that reminded me of Sisualik. And I knew I wouldn't do it justice.<br />
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When I was a child, I ran around with no socks and shoes on. I ran through fireweed, away from bumblebees, and picked wild onions. We stayed up late at night, bright in the midnight sun, running around the tundra playing Norwegian, kick the can, and more. We hunted mice with swords made of driftwood, in their underground castles made of plywood.<br />
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My tatta built Goober, Josie and I a swingset 35 years ago with driftwood, rope and old 2"x10" boards. It still stands, parts re-built for the other 70 grand children, and 50 great-grandchildren. But I still retain ownership of the swings, and even in the stormiest weather, it stood, as a beacon calling us home. Right next to the Inisaq's and the old siglauq.<br />
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We fed 40 hungry dogs, and ran around with the puppies. We got in trouble together, we slept on the floor, and we fought like enemies. Each one of use was spoiled in our own way. I never did the dishes. I never had to wash the oblong rectangular avocado colored plastic bowls that we ate our daily caribou soup in. I got to stay up late and listen to my grandparents play pinochle and speak their native tongue. I asked them, "Do you want tea?" "Do you want coffee?" in Inupiaq. <br />
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We gathered and stored broken seashells like they were diamonds and gold. We put tiny white clamshells on our fingernails and called them "Devil's Nails." My grandfather and his brother built a church at camp. A simple structure, four walls, no insulation, simple benches, and a wooden pulpit. He donned his best button up shirt and tall mukluks and preached to us. Kids sat on the floor, and giggled, "Quyaanan Agaiuun, Qaitchuna Ilipnun Agaayun," we learned to say. <br />
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Hotcakes were fried in cast iron skillets with bacon grease or Crisco every.single.morning. We never got tired of them. Spam, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash or fried caribou accompanied them, with leftover qayusaaq to dip in. In the springtime, seagull eggs were boiled for us to eat with breakfast.<br />
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The boys got to go out and hunt for birds on the spit, they walked with a shotgun, a couple shells, held across their backs with rope, and came back with ducks and geese in the fall time. Duck soup was a favorite. We fought over who ate the brains. Sometimes I even won. We said, "Jesus Qaqiaq, Amen" before every meal, and sat outside, on the ground to eat. Summer birthday's were a treat, because all the kids from all the camps came over and we had DOUBLE decker birthday cake, with frosting from a can. <br />
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We stole gas from people and went joyriding back and forth along the beach, happily oblivious to the wrath we would face when we went home. And we always went home. Because even though my grandparents were mad, they still showed they loved us the best. They took care of us, together. Quietly allowing us to make mistakes, showing us how to be servants of humanity. <br />
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We visited other camps, and walked to Nuvugurak to see how everyone's ugruk and salmon was drying. We cut beluga and seals on the beach, and swam with the salmon net. Sometimes, we checked net, by swimming in the ocean to the buoy and bringing it back to the boat. Sometimes, we used a qayaq. My grandfather used a qayaq to check his seal and beluga nets miles offshore. It was a celebration when he brought one home. We cut more fish on the beach than I can count. Hurriedly so we could run around and play afterward.<br />
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Us kids fought over who got to stand at the bow of the boat when we went back and forth, or went hunting. Perfect for the salty spray to barely kiss our faces. Or who got to sit on the side that got the wettest from the rough waves, and we were never scared with our Tatta. We had new mukluks every year instead of shoe-packs. We had new parkys instead of north face coats. We had new fur hats and mittens, and our old ones went to the younger kids. <br />
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We HAD to pick berries. Boys, girls, moms, dads, uncles, aunties, old and young. Berries, berries, and more berries. "Fill your aimmaq before you go play out." The fast kids would steal berries from the slow ones, and run to aana, exclaiming they were done! We staked claim to berry patches 20 feet wide, and fought like bears if anyone came to our patch. <br />
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There are so many things we did, so many memories that flooded me that my body couldn't hold it in. I sobbed and shook and cried that my aana was gone. That my tatta was gone. That almost all the elders we knew and loved are gone. Everyone who grew up at Sisualik got cinnamon rolls from aana Katak, they said Good Morning and Good Night on the CB to Aana Carrie. They got scolded by Aana Dora, and got smiled at by Aana Irene. We were all scared of Mendenhall's house. Even though it probably wasn't haunted. We all walked miles and miles to play with the Noatak kids who came for the summer at Nuvuguraq, we walked to aana Carrie's and gave her our first duck. We went to Greene's and Wilson's cause they had landing strips. <br />
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We bring our newborn babies to camp to show them where they are from. The breaths of our ancestors whisper in their ears thousands of memories within. The tundra speaks to them of the family that once sailed across in the winter, and used a dog team in the winter to get around. Beach grass dances for the babies as the ocean sings it's sweet song. <br />
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We bury our family there. To bring them back to the place where they belong. So their worldly bodies may rest and their souls can breath in the happiness there. A world untouched by technology, minus the ubiquitous telephone solar panel on the elder's homes. A world were fish are still hung, ugruk is still cut, berries are still picked, shells are still gathered, and porcupine are still curious. I, too, will be buried there, because that is where I belong.<br />
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Happy tears were shed, I think. Happy tears for a happy childhood. One that I am grateful to have shared with Bessie, Josie, Goober, Doccy, Cody, Junior, Stacey, Saima, Charlotte, Bunnik, Andrea, Cathlynn, Johnson, Ethel, Irene, Phyllis, Francine, Mable, Madeline, Joey and Nikki, Saul, Nathan, Eli, Vernon, Vanessa, Ootut, Janet, and more. And one that I hope my daughter remembers just as well as I do with her grandparents, and all her cousins. Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-29364783644918889032014-02-19T09:09:00.002-09:002014-02-19T09:09:39.782-09:00How to beat the coldIt's been fa-reeeezing here for the past two weeks or so. The wind chill gets to about -40 and stays there. The ambient temperature isn't "too" cold, maybe -20 to -10ish. <br />
<br />
But it's still cold. I had to pull out my warmer down jacket. <br />
<br />
Because I don't have a parky. But everyone else in my family does. Well, I guess technically I do have one, from my aana Katak, but I rarely use it, only to travel with because it's pretty big. Maybe what I'm saying is I don't have a parky made by me.<br />
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But EVERYONE else does. (PS there's two more being "fixed" so they're not hanging up!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ8k2JoNxbQB4VL8yJS_pZbN62Ag-VWHwQe2Sub0goos34Wx-F7hJPww2W3wSGUwPnioXXMPXOB0t8Lv60Usg_jD73SzQGrEAuFg5UeNT6V2GT2OIZyGB0P0hWJSs9hyko8bgVQpTEJk/s1600/1794768_10202316072817092_213834981_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQ8k2JoNxbQB4VL8yJS_pZbN62Ag-VWHwQe2Sub0goos34Wx-F7hJPww2W3wSGUwPnioXXMPXOB0t8Lv60Usg_jD73SzQGrEAuFg5UeNT6V2GT2OIZyGB0P0hWJSs9hyko8bgVQpTEJk/s1600/1794768_10202316072817092_213834981_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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and now, even Rea has one! I made this cute little parky with some trim and stretch velvet I got as a gift from a friend who was recently in Korea. He plopped a big bag of trim, velvet and silky material at my friends house and said, "have fun!" I also used a fox isilgvik (hood trim) one of my friends gave me because it was too small for her daughter. Perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswBWyCvPInPNCQM4m4Exj034ofZudfciM5svU4Zxe_Lg9HiTDZ48Sj9yvxLhyphenhyphenyBOlBkYCvQON4xaWsXieZJ3RoWIbVtivcSrxE-eZz77cntxdKsIZjoLaBuetjMH3CFKIt_FV9itVUSE/s1600/1896958_10202317200885293_1936221600_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswBWyCvPInPNCQM4m4Exj034ofZudfciM5svU4Zxe_Lg9HiTDZ48Sj9yvxLhyphenhyphenyBOlBkYCvQON4xaWsXieZJ3RoWIbVtivcSrxE-eZz77cntxdKsIZjoLaBuetjMH3CFKIt_FV9itVUSE/s1600/1896958_10202317200885293_1936221600_n.jpg" height="640" width="579" /></a></div>
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That's how finnskimo's battle the cold.<br />
<br />
Well, that and sauna's!<br />
<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-26497356701016760842014-01-29T09:29:00.000-09:002014-02-19T09:29:32.754-09:00Happy AnniversaryHappy Anniversary to my parents! I always know how long they've been married by subtracting three years from my own age.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn2L1KPRn3px04EsTeHl63EpHzduENDEQepc4dbn0q_9K7yMraqJa34gHgjxzDDNwmIh2PS1fxb_qcQi17IwdlCo3socHhr3MuxGG8mJnIDlTRLiZvhuh35dWkB9i283MSmi_jcnftIk/s1600/2929_1091305736753_2943006_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn2L1KPRn3px04EsTeHl63EpHzduENDEQepc4dbn0q_9K7yMraqJa34gHgjxzDDNwmIh2PS1fxb_qcQi17IwdlCo3socHhr3MuxGG8mJnIDlTRLiZvhuh35dWkB9i283MSmi_jcnftIk/s1600/2929_1091305736753_2943006_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Cause wasn't I cute!? (and yes, my mom's first and last time in a dress, too!)<br />
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And check out my tatta's awesome mukluks! That's what I want to make myself. I NEED THOSE MUKLUKS! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhYd8xL3oekxF3qnqkDbwCol7Fz2YyOMYmAqI7jyjaR1XFJh_mQcIkCsQotWi0L1psxy-saCZmKhokxwIQ_o2vFQ2-38Rl57SCDcOJp1KxkqUWZDgZUoVN1lq5gb5iDn7Tk25Ea6SzYw/s1600/21554_1267504221605_8012875_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhYd8xL3oekxF3qnqkDbwCol7Fz2YyOMYmAqI7jyjaR1XFJh_mQcIkCsQotWi0L1psxy-saCZmKhokxwIQ_o2vFQ2-38Rl57SCDcOJp1KxkqUWZDgZUoVN1lq5gb5iDn7Tk25Ea6SzYw/s1600/21554_1267504221605_8012875_n.jpg" height="552" width="640" /></a></div>
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Coincidentally, my parents were the FIRST couple married at the Kotzebue Senior Center, and Dean and I were the LAST couple married there. We also flew the pastor in from Noatak (Dean picked him up from Noatak in our plane, and after the ceremony one of our pilot friends flew him back!), the same one who married my parents. And as an homage to my tatta's awesome mukluks, we also wore mukluks.<br />
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Pretty cool, eh?! I hope my marriage is as long, happy and fulfilling as my parents. AND I hope Dean and I can retire to a huge cabin in the woods someday too.Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-74219688636245272232014-01-03T09:10:00.000-09:002014-02-19T09:22:48.290-09:00Resolution-ing<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Before we get to that, here's a little video of my then 8 year old daughter cutting fish. So if you don't know how to cut fish, then maybe that should be a resolution for you... that is if you have fish in your area! :)</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dydseo57iog6Qh59NzoySpeXLF3gnUcl4U0t4W5Wi2BTq6b1Z3ZdCr0zI6_eG9fBrqFHv7Bn0pOdcZbASOaxQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">1. Make myself a fur parky. I'm the only one in our house who doesn't have one. (And yes, I made everyone else theirs...)</span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br />
2. Make myself a pair of hard bottoms that go all the way to my knees.
(Same reason as above!). I'd really like tutuliks, but calfskin will
do, too.</span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /> 3. Start shooting, skinning, tanning Sisualik squirrels for a really fancy parky for Kais<span class="text_exposed_show">a. (Gotta be ready for MAC!) </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 4. Say "no," more. </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 5. Read over 100 books.</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 6. Eat more fish. Even though we do eat it, I'd like to eat more for dinner.</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 7. Ski at least twice a week as long as the weather cooperates.</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 8. Teach more people how to sew. (I really enjoyed teaching skin sewing and atikluk making.)</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 9. Learn and use more of the inupiaq language.</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> 10. Drive the boat across by myself. ichikaang!</span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">We will see how far I get this year...<br /> </span></span>Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-67999100272509582682013-10-14T15:38:00.000-08:002013-10-14T15:42:46.014-08:00Indigenous People's DayColumbus. That crazy Spaniard. He thinks he discovered America.<br />
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While I am thankful that I am on the internet, and just took a call on my iPhone, I'm not so sure that Columbus was the one to "thank" for all those advancements. As a "Native American" (I'm a Northern Inupait Eskimo from Alaska), I can't even fathom the thought of "celebrating" someone like Christopher Columbus.<br />
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But I will say thank you to whoever made it a day off for us, because after this fall we all needed a day off. And I enjoyed mine on the couch reading four books and drinking a lot of coffee. Which brings me to this.<br />
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I wrote a little poem, very quickly on Facebook earlier, and I figured I'd better just share it here, too.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean Blue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /> On his ship were gold and lamas, He lost his course, ended up in the Bahamas.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /> "My Indians!" He said, to those he "found," while walking on their sacred ground,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /> "I'm here, I'm here, I've made it through, I'm so glad to have landed and discovered you!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><br /> "Who<span class="text_exposed_show">'s this crazy spaniard," they asked to those around, "Talking like we were lost and now we're found."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> The natives were nice and they treated him well, teaching him the ways of an ancient quell.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> To him, they belonged to his kingdom, he thought, too nice to fight back even though they ought.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> He continued his reign yearly from dusk until dawn, until most of "his Indians" were long dead and gone.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> Now this is the year of two thousand thirteen, we "celebrate" the ways of a "lost man" you see.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> I hope it's ok if I don't agree with your thinking aside. Because Columbus created a mass genocide.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">So let's sit here and mourn the death he brought forth, of the native people who gladly would have pointed him North.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">To this day we fight on for what's right and what's true. We fight for our ancestors, our children and you.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">Sit with me my friends, my family and all, To the spirits of those lost in the past do I call, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">I'll shout to the hills and pray to the church steeple, This day I will celebrate my Indigenous People! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show">Maija Lukin 2013</span></span></span></div>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>(Don't forget. This is my very own opinion, I
can think for myself, and I can post for myself. Don't forget that.
Oh, I also added a couple lines at the bottom.)</i> Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-20921109569530035322013-09-25T10:59:00.002-08:002013-09-25T10:59:33.491-08:00Firstborn Birth StoriesI was 19. Married a year (yep, got married really young, like most of the military wives do!) and living in Orlando off base in an upstairs apartment on LeHigh street. <br />
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I swam daily, the pressure from being super pregnant, still technically a teenager, and all alone without my family was severe. Emotionally, I was a wreck. Physically, I gained maybe 7 pounds and secretly hoped I'd have a small baby. Ouch, do you KNOW how babies are born?! <br />
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Speaking of lack of weight gain, I had to go and see this guy for some shots every week. Protein, and probably Valium or Prozac because I was super high strung and sad all the damn time. I loved him. Or her. Or shim?! His/Her name was "VER" (rhymes with Bear, but pulled into two sexy syllables) and s/he was awesome. Bald, about six foot three and the deepest sexiest man voice a woman ever could have. S/he really knew how to accentuate his/her eyes too. "OHMIGOD GUUUURL, you are juss da tiniess thaaang." (My belly...) "Gimme your arm, squeeze dis ball and we can get started. haha, I always wanted to say that. Squeeze this ball!" I don't think my husband got a kick out of him/her as much as I did. We talked about all the girly stuff you could talk about to a best friend who you only saw because you were paying them to keep you alive. :) Thanks Ver. <br />
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Anyway, I had felt Braxton-Hicks contractions before, and on my due date, September 24th, I was sure I was in labor. A quick visit to the hospital and yet ANOTHER person checking my whoo-haa confirmed that I was just being a wimp. On the way back from the hospital, I decided I needed some watermelon. I mean, I REALLY needed watermelon. So, we stopped at a grocery store, I forget which one, for some watermelon. Are watermelon in season in late September? Only at certain places. So, I settled for some red vines instead.<br />
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On the way back to the apartment, I swear my hips were breaking in half. I mean, seriously, the pain was unbearable. I thought I was going to die. (Not really, but man, it hurt) Even red vines weren't helping. So, driving back from the hospital, in the dark, we hit something. The (tiny) HUGE bump brought me to tears, what the hell did we hit? BIGFOOT?! I mean, it could have been a rock, but damn, my legs were falling off!<br />
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So, because I was in such pain, we decided that the best thing to do was go bowling. We drove over to the bowling alley and got two games for each of us. I don't know if you know this, but bowling with a big full term belly is hard. But I still won. Because that's what I do. Win. <br />
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Then as I was walking away from the snack bar, my water broke. Like gushed out, in- the-movies-broke, Niagara-Falls, baby-juice-flowing-all-over-the-place, dammit-I'm-in-a-bowling-alley, holy-shit-are-people-looking-at-me, my-husband-looks-pissed, Gushed out. Stanky, slimy baby juice. All over my cool bowling shoes.<br />
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Dammit. Shit just got real.<br />
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Unfortunately, there was a football game on, and we needed to see who won. So I swayed like my momma taught me. Well, she didn't really "teach" me cause she wasn't there, but I remember walking with her the night before Elsa was born and she would stop and sway back and forth on her heels, so I just mimicked that motion. It sure as hell didn't work for me.<br />
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That kid was coming whether or not the Colorado Buffalos beat the Tennesee Volunteers or not. Hurry up with that touchdown Peyton, we needed to GO.<br />
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And go we did. We left the bowling alley and cruised down the road to the Winter Park hospital. I tried to check in and they told me visiting hours were over. I gently, or as gently as my breaking hips could tell them, told them I was in labor, and my water had broken. "WHAT?!" <br />
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They rushed into servitude. Apparently my tiny body (I know, right.) and lack of weight gain prompted them to think I was severely premature. They called my doctor, Dr. Wolford, and he assured them that I was indeed full term. <br />
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I got dressed into that awesome butt-less hospital gown and wanted to walk around. But, alas, my doctor came in and said, "You're getting an epidural." <br />
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Who was I to complain? Doctor's orders, man. Besides, my hips already broke in half, so walking would have been difficult. Right?<br />
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The anesthesiologist came in and said he was going to put this 8 inch needle in my back and that I needed to relax. I said, "Cool, can I watch!" Surprised, he agreed to let me watch. The nurse came over and gave me a huge mirror, you know the Goody Mirrors you can get from Wal-mart? She then stood behind the drug doctor and held another equally as cool Goody mirror back there so I could watch this dude stick a needle in my spinal fluid. After I signed the "If I die, it's not his fault" liability form, that is.<br />
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After a few minutes, they checked if my toes could feel anything by poking a needle in my big toe. Nope. Nothing. Naada. Zilch. Damn that stuff works. Of course, the football game was going on in the tube TV behind everything. Go Volunteers. <br />
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The baby monitor told us that it was time for me to push this sucker out. The contractions, apparently were really strong now and I was effaced and dilated all the way. Did I know? Nope. The nurse kept checking me and watching a screen to let me know. As far as I was concerned, my hips were no longer broken and I needed to keep this epidural drip for when I stubbed my toe. <br />
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We did the normal, you-hold-one-leg-I'll-hold-the-other and the nurse said that I wasn't pushing "right." Huh? How the hell do you push a baby cantaloupe out of a lemon hole, then miss-know-it-all? Oh, that way... <br />
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She literally told me this: "Have you ever been constipated? Well, push like you're pushing that BM out. Push from THERE." And pointed. Uhm.. uh... I didn't think I was doing THAT. I thought I was having a baby. But my 19 year old self was like, "OK Whatevs, this epidural is the shiz."<br />
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After about 5 minutes, the epidural wore off. In my mind: "HOLYGODINHEAVEN HELP ME NOW!!! WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP HAVING BABIES??! OH MY GOD I'M DYING AGAIN. Oh, ok 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, (breathe Maija...) 3, 2, 1... ONE more... 10, 9, 8, 7" OK STOP, someone yelled. "WHAT? STOP? How the hell do you want me to STOP!? There's a BABY RIGHT THERE... holy shit there's a BABY right there... oh my God, I had a baby. Holy cow he has A LOT of hair."<br />
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My Andrew Jade was born. Wait, my husband wanted to name him Shae or Kobe. So no AJ for me. Damn. Well, if you know my son, you know that Colorado beat Tennessee that day, and therefore my son is named Koy (detmer) Peyton (manning). A pretty fitting name for this kid.<br />
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Happy 17th Birthday son. Since the day you were born, I've been cutting your hair, and today is no exception. I love you. I love your stoic looks. I love your maija-attitude. I love the way you've grown and continue to grow. I love how you stick up for your sister, even if you get in trouble with me. I love you. Even if you did "break my hips." <br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-47200448426708902672013-09-05T11:24:00.002-08:002013-09-05T11:24:41.180-08:00Things I learned from my aana.Last week my grandmother passed away. My aana. My mom's mom. She was 85 years old. After a whirlwind week of funeral homes, funeral services and a burial at camp, I am finally able to sit and think about her.<br />
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When the call came in that she may not make it, I prayed for three things: 1. If it was time for her to go, that she went peacefully and pain free. 2. That my family would accept that it was her time to go. 3. That I would not lose it in front of anyone. <br />
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Thankfully, God answers prayers from the soul. She passed away her own way, waiting for my cousins to arrive on the flight to Anchorage. Smiled a little and took her final breath. I left before that, because I didn't think I could hold on to prayer #3 if I stayed. And my family is not used to see me cry, be upset, or pretty much do anything but work real hard. <br />
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Anyway, each night I think about what a legacy she left. And how much I learned from her. <br />
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These are the things I came up with:<br />
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<b>Put other people first, especially family. </b> Help other people, even if it costs you something (time, money, pride). She always had family living with her; nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and more. She took care of them like they were all her own. Funny (sort of, now) story: When I was a single mother to my son and had just gotten a divorce, I thought my ex-husband was going to come to Kotzebue to steal my son away. I told her and she kicked everyone out of the house, took a shotgun and told me that we were staying with her until he left. I didn't leave the house that week, and she didn't let anyone in. Not even my tatta, who had no idea what was going on, because he was just at the Post Office when she did that! She was a savior to many of her grandchildren. <br />
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<b>It doesn't take much to make you happy.</b> My grandparents lived a different lifestyle compared to most people here. They used a dog team to get around, and simple items like a qayaq to check their nets. There was no need for extravagance, or "more." They raised all their kids in a house at Sisualik with only two rooms, a "bedroom" and everything else in the other room. We slept on the floor, covering the entire house, and rolled up the caribou skins (and the lucky ones got some foam to sleep on!) in the morning to start the day. She was always happy, it seems like, and never needed anything more than she already had. <br />
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<b>Try not to have regrets.</b> Does that even make sense? I think so. I mean, you learn so much from mistakes, from others and from life in general, that you can't possibly think that you're the "same person you always were." Right? I know I'm not the same person I was when I was 18, or even last year for that matter. I don't have regrets, really. I think she just showed us that it's OK to fail, it's OK to win... as long as you learn something and are graceful doing it.<br />
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<b>Hold on to your culture.</b> My aana taught us to live off the land. To sew, and pick berries, and bake bread. She sang to us in Inupiaq, she scolded us in Inupiaq. She never told us to embrace our culture, she just did. She didn't preach to us about the importance of our culture, she just lived that lifestyle and we learned from her and my tatta. The Inupiaq here have a set of "Values" that they spout off all the time. "Respect for Elders!" "Knowledge of family tree!" "Hunter Sucess!" "Responsibility to Tribe!" Very few people simply live them. She was one of them who lived those values every day of her life. Not in the open, not on facebook, not told to anyone else. Simply lived them with no credit needed. She taught her children and grandchildren the importance of being an Inupiaq person just by the everyday things she did. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>*I made these mukluks for her after she passed away. She was buried in them. I shed many a tear sewing these the week of the funeral. But I always knew that she was watching over me, making sure my stitches were nice! :) </i></span></span><br />
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<b>Work hard.</b> This is probably the best lesson I learned, besides sewing from her. She took care of her family, her community, her sisters, her nieces and everyone who came into her door. There is not one person who grew up in Sisualik who did not know who she was. She was not vocal, or verbal about much (except on the CB when we wouldn't go home on time!) but she took care of everything without complaint, or even a grumpy look on her face! Sometimes I don't even want to make dinner for the four of us after working all day. And by work, I mean sitting in my office, staring into my computer typing a whole bunch of stuff, answering emails, sending information out. Not working, as in, picking berries, making seal pokes, cutting caribou, gathering greens, AND making dinner from scratch in a place with no electricity or running water for 15 people every night. So work hard picking berries. Work hard making mukluks. Work hard making dinner. Work hard if all you're doing is answering phones. <br />
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<b>If boys can do it, girls can do it, too</b>. My aana was never really a conformist. Yes, she sewed mukluks and parkys and hats and mittens for all her kids and grandkids. Yes, she baked bread and made doughnuts every Sunday. Yes, she picked thousands of gallons of berries. But she also had a dog team, checked nets, hunted caribou, drove a boat, raced in dog races, chopped wood, and more. I was allowed to go hunting with my uncles and tatta, and I was allowed to sew mukluks with my aana. I would rather chop wood any day, than do the dishes. My male cousins had to do dishes too, I remember one day my cousin said, "I don't need to do dishes, let Bessie, she's a GIRL!" My aana said to him, "Being a girl or boy doesn't matter. Some day you'll have a wife and she won't always do dishes for you." And that was the end of that. There was not real "scolding" just a simple lesson that boys need to do dishes too. (haha)<br />
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<b>Keep on learning, always.</b> If you're taking classes, great. If not, you always learn something new. My aana grew up speaking Inupiaq and she worked hard to learn English correctly. She worked hard listening to the people telling her to "embrace westernization" but she still held on to her culture and past. She enjoyed new technology, and western movies. She always made sure our schoolwork was done before we got to "play out" or have doughnuts! Education, both traditional and western, was important to her. Always keep learning.<br />
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I'm sure we learned so much more from her than these, but these are the lessons that are most important to me. I learned a love for sewing from her. A love for helping people. I learned to make doughnuts and sourdough hotcakes. I learned that there is no place I'd rather be than Sisualik, AK in the fall time. No internet, no phones. No electricity or running water either. Hard work, quiet, peacefullness that we all want. <br />
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Thank you aana for teaching us. Thank you for being our grandmother. Thank you for taking care of us. Thank you for scolding us when we needed. Thank you for showing us unconditional love. <br />
<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-54250843045618700422013-08-15T10:55:00.000-08:002013-08-15T10:55:07.493-08:00Did you know...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's prime berry picking season up here. We go through about a six to eight week period of ripening berries where the women (and some men) rush to find "their spots." <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mom and Rea picking berries. (I made both their atikluks)</span></i></div>
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Last year we had a horrible season. It rained and rained and rained some more. You can pick berries in the rain, but why would you want to!? I think I purchased berries from up river last year to supplement the TWO days I was able to pick here.<br />
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Our season is one of four berries native to the arctic. Aqpiks (UCK-pick) or Salmonberries ripen first. They're technically Cloudberries, but people have called them salmonberries thanks to the similarity between the salmon eggs and the berry itself.<br />
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DID YOU KNOW: That aqpiks are the highest contributor of Vitamin C found in Northern Alaska. (I've heard rosehips have a higher Vit. C content but we don't find those here often). <br />
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After the Aqpiks, come the blueberries. Which is what I've been spending my time picking lately. Tundra blueberries are small bursts of flavor. The short growing season, combined with 24 hours of sun to ripen give them a seriously tart and distinct flavor. I don't think anyone who grew up eating our blueberries can ever really "like" blueberries found in the lower 48. <br />
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DID YOU KNOW: Tundra blueberries mold and ferment very easily. The only way to keep them from fermenting is to freeze them. White sugar and seal oil or caribou fat will also keep blueberries from fermenting by removing the air from around the berry. Also, wild tundra blueberries have 10-20 times the nutritional value compared to domestically grown blues. <br />
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Once the blues are softening the blackberries, and cranberries signal the last of the fall days, caribou hunting and time to get ready for winter. Right now, it's happy berry picking season up here, though, we aren't going to talk about the end of fall just yet!<br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-62131305355812840512013-08-05T11:39:00.000-08:002013-08-05T11:39:34.104-08:00TimeIf you're my instagram or facebook friend, you know that I do lots of "stuff." We bake a lot, sew a lot and do tons of outdoor activities with our kids.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpRCRarhRy-INK3diLM6cszBLaJ6n6LWbzSeCRJUkLwSSjkd6GlW7e21LKFL6bi6BFWUBIrwQnPxR_c8XVVZ28AuAVcwJ4ax2HuA5KC8djBnegHr-YkC87WbGcE2jQDX086IeCwCsavc/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpRCRarhRy-INK3diLM6cszBLaJ6n6LWbzSeCRJUkLwSSjkd6GlW7e21LKFL6bi6BFWUBIrwQnPxR_c8XVVZ28AuAVcwJ4ax2HuA5KC8djBnegHr-YkC87WbGcE2jQDX086IeCwCsavc/s640/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise from top: Fleece lined camouflage Atiluk size 12 Mo., 4th of July Cotton Atiluk size Women's M, Brushed fleece lined cotton atikluk, size 2T, Cotton fireweed atikluk size 2T. </span></i><br />
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Quite a few times, I've been asked, "How do you have time to do EVERYTHING that you do?" And by quite a few times, I'm talking like 5 times a day. Especially after I sew three atikluks and read a book in one day.<br />
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Simple. My time is prioritized. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy5EHgVNRzj4F_BRK9bnBPVefByWuk871DJiG3JfwnvwUy4P4gGT-DrbBvT8ZNL8Pt8qQka7fxwvHGdD4-M7jwFBoqmbB0740A6A3eAdc6ZHAw21U6CSixPvGrFPA2uPO5YL_iUjs8mg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuy5EHgVNRzj4F_BRK9bnBPVefByWuk871DJiG3JfwnvwUy4P4gGT-DrbBvT8ZNL8Pt8qQka7fxwvHGdD4-M7jwFBoqmbB0740A6A3eAdc6ZHAw21U6CSixPvGrFPA2uPO5YL_iUjs8mg/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise from top: Fleece Lined Blueberry Atikluk Jacket size 4T, Flannel Cupcake Atikluk size 18-24 Mo., Cotton boys pullover atikluk size 12 mo., Fleece lined waterproof Raincoat Atikluk Jacket size 4T</span></i><br />
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I have cable, but don't watch TV. (Aside from Duck Dynasty and Glee marathons!) We watch movies at night and when it's -40 below. I have internet, but we don't get on youtube all day long (Aside from facebook and reading a few blogs on Saturday mornings!) I don't play games on my phone, or iPad or on the internet. (Aside from Draw Something before bed!) And basically, I like it that way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyKNGWSE7w0peZycpn4my9nosWUpub_yV0cLb_QUKG6UVc4D9n3TzEuZqlgwsUVzjHeje-eKHRXN1HDPfZsn9IATc2eZkbojzXoj2S7t7b0-0r89pTyRH0FGAchenQpC9CcXyX7liWWs/s1600/alicebryn2months.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyKNGWSE7w0peZycpn4my9nosWUpub_yV0cLb_QUKG6UVc4D9n3TzEuZqlgwsUVzjHeje-eKHRXN1HDPfZsn9IATc2eZkbojzXoj2S7t7b0-0r89pTyRH0FGAchenQpC9CcXyX7liWWs/s640/alicebryn2months.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I haven't seen Jersey Shore, ever. I haven't watched the latest youtube video. I have never played Candy Crush. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise from top: Fleece lined Cotton "Florida Gators" Atikluk jacket size 2T, Fleece lined cotton fireweed Atikluk Jacket size 4T, Boys 4th of July pullover atiluk, size 10-12, Fleece Lined Camouflage Atikluk Jacket size 3T</span></i><br />
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I have, however, in the last two months sewn about 25 atikluks, two pairs of mukluks and baked several cakes, cinnamon rolls and more. I have also read about 10 books in the last month or so, two on Saturday.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Men's Pullover Camouflage Atikluk size L </span></i></div>
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I have caught fish and filleted them. I have camped out on the beach with good friends. I have taught my daughter how to sew her own sweatshirt. I have taught my son how to fillet a fish with an ulu. I have enjoyed my nieces at my house. I have picked berries with my sister. I have sewn, sewn and sewn some more! <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise from top: Matching Forget-Me-Not Cotton Atikluks size 3T & 3-6 Mo., Cotton 4th of July Atikluk size Women's Small, Fleece Lined Atikluk Jacket size Women's Small, Fleece Lined Cotton Atikluk Jacket size 24 Mo.</span></i><br />
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I've made purses, bags, atikluks (Eskimo pullover shirt/jackets), mukluks, sweaters, pants, shorts, wallets, harnesses, parkas, etc. All in the last three months. Because all we have is time, the important part, though, is how you spend it. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Too Small T-Shirt Conversion!" Added a skirt and pocket to a too-small shirt.</span></i></div>
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I choose to spend my time doing things I love to do. Sew. Bake. Read. Subsist. Not necessarily in that order! Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-4821353212502814572013-08-01T14:51:00.004-08:002013-08-01T14:51:54.193-08:00Fish on!A whole few months of no blogging. I don't know if I'm bored of it, or tired of it, or too busy for it! Maybe I think if you wanna read about my life, you should be my facebook friend. haha. I don't know.<br />
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Fishing is on the brain right now. (And softball) The twins came up and FINALLY caught shiifish through the ice. We have been trying for the past six years to get them to hook a fish through the ice and this year the ice was here late enough that they did it.<br />
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Max, of course, is hooked! Maddie, eh, she caught one, and was done with it! haha.<br />
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But at least we get to enjoy fish right? <br />
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Speaking of fish... we have some pretty fresh wild Alaska Salmon up here. We fish for Chum, which isn't what you think it is. Ours are silver, fresh, firm ocean fish, not the stripey alligator fish Chum are known for. Luckily, we get them when they look like silvers. I wouldn't eat anything with stripes on it! (By the way, I fillet all my fish with an ulu.)<br />
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But the best of fish is the Sockeye Salmon that we don't get up here. They're caught either with a dipnet in Kenai or a fish wheel in Copper Center. This year was my first experience dipnetting.<br />
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CRAZINESS, and I loved it. I am planning a trip with our WHOLE family next year. Heck with just me going. EVERYONE needs to go! It was so fun. We ended up with about 20 fish, which isn't too much, but better than nothing and Dean-o was happy to be able to smoke reds.<br />
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I was just happy to get more fish for the freezer. Freezer talk: TODAY is the first day of Moose Season. Bam. Time to go hunting for red meat!<br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-45174419132202720472013-03-25T09:30:00.000-08:002013-03-25T09:30:20.055-08:00Little ChefsMy husband left me for a week of warm weather and gambling. Or, wait, scratch the gambling, just warm weather! He went to Las Vegas for work. I always wondered why there are so many trainings, seminars and the sort in Las Vegas. It seems like any sort of Tribal (Native American) training going on, Las Vegas is seven out of ten dates to choose from.<br />
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I've been to Las Vegas several times for my job, but this is his first time going for work. We decided that even though it's for a week, the hotel is paid for by the company and basically I need some Vitamin D, that I'd just stay home with the kids and dogs, so we weren't stressing about how cold it is, running out of fuel, water freezing, etc. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (a couple of these photos are from Instagram. Check out my other ones! Finnskimo)</span></div>
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The weather in Las Vegas is supposed to be 60-70 all week. I just heard the weather forecast for Kotzebue and we have a "wind chill warning" which happens when the wind chill is FIFTY below zero or more. Lucky me.<br />
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Anyway, yesterday my youngest came back from her Spring Break trip in Anchorage on "the morning flight" which meant that on Sunday morning, I had to get up at 7:00 am to pick her up. I was excited about going right back to sleep. She was excited not to. <br />
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So, I asked her if she wanted to make some Blueberry Swirl Coffee Cake by herself. And of course, she said yes. <br />
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After about an HOUR of waiting for her to measure things, and double check her recipe, I was getting annoyed. I mean, really annoyed. "Do you HAVE to check again, you don't remember it says TWO TEASPOONS OF VANILLA??!" I was even standing above her and saying, "Seriously, girl... hurry up..." Then I took a break to read Facebook, cause I was annoyed with how long it was taking just to mix the ingredients. The FIRST status on my newsfeed said this:<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span class="userContent">"When do you learn best? When the person teaching you is relaxed and smiling or stressed and scowling?"</span></i></span></div>
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<span class="userContent">I almost cried. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">So I went over to her, apologized for being annoyed and told her that I was proud that she was making a Coffee Cake all by herself. She said to me, "Oh that's OK mom! But can you help me pour the milk cause it's new and I don't want to spill it..." </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">I am constantly need reminders in life. And I'm always amazed that they come at the exact right time I need them. </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">I tried all day to remember just that simple statement. It's hard sometimes to be a parent. I'm always making mistakes and learning new things, and I do try to be a good mom, good wife, good sister, etc. Sometimes I just want to curl up into a ball because I think I'm not doing good. Then my kids fight over who's going to sleep in my bed because Dean's gone, and I know they still love me! </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">We took the Coffee Cake out of the oven and it looked, smelled and tasted better than mine, so I know I must be doing something right.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>P.S. Dean and I are working on a cookbook that, I swear, we've been working on for years. It's a compilation of my grandma's recipes, my mom's, my aana's and our own. It's gonna take forever, but until then, I probably won't share as many recipes, just cause I need to save some for the book! haha.</i></span></span><br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-7854314169210984152013-02-21T15:29:00.001-09:002013-02-21T15:29:20.594-09:00Handmade fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I always have these ideas in my head, I'll go, "I can write about this...or that..." and then I go home and POOF! they're gone. Sorry about that. <br />
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Aside from the fact that we FINALLY have some heat to our sun, there really isn't much to do in Kotzebue, except go to Zumba, and make stuff. <br />
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My sister Saima and I, (Elsa too, but she's too pregnant yet to really do anything, we are waiting until she's off with the baby to join in more!) are starting a cute little handmade shop. I'm sure we could go on Etsy, but we both work full time jobs, and have kids to take care of, and have meat to grind and package, so our beginning stock wouldn't be much. I think Facebook selling would be better, considering we will have maybe three or four items to sell at once. <br />
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Anyway, I've been working on a cute new baby mukluk pattern that wasn't 100% fur. Because 1. Fur is expensive, and 2. Fur is hard to acquire. So, we've been finding all sorts of great new fabrics to use to give old Inupiaq Style a new modern twist.<br />
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Enter, our new and improved Mukluks. New Styles, fur lined with leather bottoms. Super SUPER CUTE!!! (Girl Style above. Boy style below. I added a toe strip on the boys mukluks as well.)<br />
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Saima's been using flannel outer and fleece lining. I finally found some non-skid fabric for the bottoms as well. Think footie sleeper bottoms. She's been sewing up a storm too. Baby sewing is awesome, especially when you have a sister and several cousins who are pregnant at any given moment! It sure seems like everyone is pregnant. haha. (Except me)<br />
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Anyway, homemade is so much more fun than store bought. So, if you're on facebook in the next month or so search for us, chances are, we will be up and running by then! <br />
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Until then, happy sewing.<br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-83388839778775118712013-01-31T10:34:00.003-09:002013-01-31T10:38:16.211-09:00Back Velvet in that little girls smile...You know the sultry song. :)<br />
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I can't help but sing it today because I made a Black Velvet parky ("parka" for those of you non-northern-alaskans) for my littlest girl last night. Not that she's very little. Five feet tall and all.<br />
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Anyway, I haven't sewn stretchy velvet in a while. And I forgot how much I hated it. Stretches, and bends and goes crooked whenever it feels like it. But it is so beautiful to look at. And the icing on the cake? This velvet was sent to me by a lovely blog reader. Hey Brit!!! Thanks. Looks awesome! She had a stash of fabric and findings that she didn't need and was awesome enough to send it to me. Free Black Velvet is the best!<br />
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This particular one also was made with Arctic Fox fur which is a serious witch to sew with. If you're not sneezy before you start, you'll definitely be sneezy afterwards! And the hair. It's worse than my yellow lab shedding all over! But you know what? The finished fox ruff and trim is so beautiful that it fully makes up for the itchy scratchies!<br />
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We got this particular parky from Kaisa's other family. They had a girls parky that was too small and needed some repairs. So the lining and fox ruff are the same as before, so the time to make it wasn't as long as it would usually take. I'm so glad they thought of her for it! It's super cute.</div>
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The other trim is an Arctic Fox that Dean had caught outside Sisualik and we home tanned (in the washer!) so it's a little thinner then the other one. </div>
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Luckily, I only broke two skin sewing needles making this thing. I only poked myself once bad enough to bleed a bit. So based on that alone, this was EASY to make! </div>
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(PS My mom's still trying to take as many photos of me as possible, because she's convinced that I don't take any! Even though I do...)<br />
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So, now I need to make one for my niece, cause these girls have to match! They're 2 years apart, and the best of friends, hopefully forever! And they need to match. :)<br />
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I love it. And she's pretty cute, if I do say so myself. Perfect little eskimo girl in her parky!Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-50071994271210089252013-01-23T15:31:00.002-09:002013-01-23T15:31:42.053-09:00Easiest Cinnamon Rolls, EVERNothing too exciting has been happening at our household, unless you count a wood gathering trip last weekend, and a trip to the city for the Beer and Barleywine Festival. :)<br />
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Mostly, we just go home, sew, bake and be merry. Every Saturday I make cinnamon rolls. Really good, really easy cinnamon rolls.<br />
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And plenty of people have asked for the recipe. If you're my facebook friend, then chances are I've shared it with you already. <br />
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If you're just my blog friend, then lucky you! I'll share it with you today!<br />
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Makes 12 HUGE GINORMOUS ROLLS! (seriously, a pampered chef 15" x 10" makes only 12 of these). I wish I could remember where I found these, Pinterest maybe? I don't know, we fiddled with the original recipe and have decided that this one is the best...<br />
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Cinnamon Rolls<br />
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1 3/4 C Warmish Water<br />
1/2 C Sugar<br />
1/4 C Oil<br />
3 TBS or 3 packets Yeast<br />
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Mix and let sit for about 10-15 min. It'll become super yeasty and bubbly.<br />
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Add to it:<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
5-6 cups of flour. Start with 5, and go from there. <br />
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Knead for about 10 min. If you have a kitchenaide, just fit the dough hook in and mix for about 5-6 min. Remove from bowl and let sit in an oiled bowl for 10-15 min until doubled.<br />
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Remove from bowl and place on an oiled counter. Using your hands, make your dough into a rectangle roughly 14" x 18" or so. Spread with the following:<br />
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1/4 C melted butter<br />
1/2 C Brown Sugar<br />
Cinnamon <br />(If you like, you can add nuts, and raisins, etc. here as well)<br />
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Roll up tight lengthwise. Using Dental Floss, (wrap under roll, cross the floss over each other on the top and pull outward, the floss will cut the dough perfectly) cut the roll in half.</div>
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Then cut the half in half, and cut the quarter dough into thirds. Using a large baking pan (at least 15" x 10") that's well oiled, place the dough onto the pan in four rows of three.</div>
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Let rolls rise for about 15-20 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees.</div>
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Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until browned on top and bottom. Slather with butter when you remove them from the oven.</div>
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These are seriously huge and seriously GOOD!<br />
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NOW... if you're a serious sugar fanatic, you can frost them too. <br />
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Mix together in a bowl:<br />
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1/4 C room temperature butter<br />
1/4 C room temperature Cream Cheese<br />
2 tsp vanilla<br />
a shot of Brewed espresso<br />
a dash of salt<br />
1/2 C Carnation Milk (room temp!)<br />
And enough Powdered Sugar to make into a frosting, or a glaze, whichever you prefer.<br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-47698482528081699502013-01-07T16:36:00.000-09:002013-01-07T16:36:34.591-09:00SkatingI always hear from people, "There's nothing for kids to do here." I agree, to a point. I agree that there is no organized place for youth and pre-teens and teens to go to in the evenings, like when we were younger. But. There is always a but.<br />
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But there are are a few parents here that find things for their kids to do. Luckily, I know several of those parents. And we all have kids the same age, who love to play out.<br />
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A parent came over to pick up their daughter one day from our house, and said they were going to look for a place to skate in town. Thankfully, we already had a perfect place, within walking distance from our house that we've been using for several years. <br />
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A nice little pond that freezes quickly and thoroughly right across the street. <br />
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We have several sets of ice skates, and the other family had a garbage bin AND tote full of various sizes, so all that needed to happen, was a shovel to the ice, and our makeshift skating rink was ready.<br />
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You may be wondering why an Arctic village does not already have an outdoor skate rink, but you can question the City for that. The same City that promises to provide things for kids to do. Until then, we will shovel the ice when it snows and enjoy the couple of hours of daylight we have on the ice.<br />
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We don't have a place to buy skates from, but if you have some you'd like to get rid of, we frequently have less skates then we do kids. Especially little ones! If you want to send them to us, we will gladly keep them in a rubbermaid tote and let the kids use them this winter. :) email me at finnskimo at gmail dot com if you have some you'd like to share! <br />
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When we get more snow, we are going to start cross country skiing too. <br />
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Happy Winter Dance.Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-87017349936425911492013-01-04T11:50:00.001-09:002013-01-04T11:53:32.082-09:002012 Reading List<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I like books. I like to read. A lot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I read at least one book per week. I always wanted to write them all down in a year and see how many I actually did read, but I never remember to do that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thankfully though, I have a rough estimate now! Thanks to "Manage your Kindle" on Amazon. In Kindle Books alone for 2012 these are the books I read:</span></span><br />
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The Hunger Games</div>
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Mocking Jay</div>
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Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins</div>
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Two for the Dough</div>
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Three to Get Deadly – </div>
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Four to Score – Janet Evanovich</div>
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Organized Simplicity - </div>
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Legend – Marie Lu</div>
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Fifty Shades of Grey</div>
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Fifty Shades Darker</div>
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Fifty Shades Freed – EL James</div>
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The Marriage Bargain – dumb.</div>
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Divergent</div>
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Insurgent – Veronica Roth</div>
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Graceling</div>
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Bitterblue </div>
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Fire - Kristin Cashore</div>
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Under the Never Sky – Veronica Rossi</div>
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The Pledge – Kimberly Derting</div>
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The girl of Fire and Thorns – Rae Carson</div>
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Into the Shadows </div>
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Darkness Rising – Karly Kirkpatrick</div>
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Eve – Anna Carey</div>
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Secrets Exposed - ?</div>
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Last Romanov – Dora Mossanen</div>
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Extra Innings – Bruce Spitzer</div>
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Song of the Summer King – Jess Owen</div>
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Rippler</div>
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Chameleon</div>
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Unfurl – Cidney Swanson</div>
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Out of Time – Monique Martin</div>
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Carrots – Colleen Helme</div>
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Desire </div>
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Summer Wishes</div>
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Shattered – Kailin Gow</div>
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Saving Mars – Cidney Swanson</div>
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Resurrection – AM Hargrove</div>
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After Eden</div>
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Beloved Purgatory – Katherine Pine</div>
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Saved</div>
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Touched – Allegra Skye</div>
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Matched – Ally Condie</div>
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Frost</div>
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Thorns – Kate Avery Ellison</div>
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Fade</div>
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Falling</div>
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Forgotten</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition to these books, I re-read classics all the time. Through the Looking Glass, Anna Karenina, As the Waltz was Ending, Treasure Island, etc. And if I like a book, I'll re-read it several times as well. I read the Hunger Games series a few times. I re-read the Fifty Shades trilogy just to see if there was anything different. There wasn't. But my husband didn't mind me re-reading THAT series! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These books don't include the hardbacks I read, and I really did try to keep the ones I read next to my bed, but there was such a pile that I finally just put them in a box. I do remember a few, "Sing Me Home" by Jodi Picoult, the Bible, and The Alchemist. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you can't tell, I am currently in LOOOOVE with Young Adult Dystopian Novels. I kid you not, I always compare my life growing up at a fish camp to the "outdoorsy" post-apocalyptic era of these books. I'm always thinking, "Oh, I'D SURVIVE..." haha. My favorite has to be Divergent, and Insurgent. I don't know why. But I really liked those two. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Anyway, here's to a great 2013 of reading. (And crafting. baking. sewing.) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What's on your current book list? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">P.S. Yes, I bought some of these. BUT... Pixel of Ink (look them up on Facebook) is a great place to grab tons of free books. They offer 3 or 4 free books every day to download onto your kindle. And I'm also an Amazon Prime member, so we get ONE free borrowed book per month. One, hahaha. One book a month. That's encouraging reading... haha.</span></span><br />
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Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-79522494451027579802013-01-03T15:57:00.000-09:002013-01-03T15:57:37.497-09:00ResolutionsI saw a great tip about using the word "Resoloution" to help you with your, you know... resolutions. <br />
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So I thought I'd give it a try...<br />
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R - Respect myself more. I mean, I totally respect myself, but sometimes I'm easily guilted into doing things for other people even when I'm dead tired, or sick, or just really need to sit down with a glass of wine and my kindle. Respect the "No." :)<br />
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E - Evolve my mothering skillz. Yes, I used a Z in that. You have to say it like this..." Skeeeellllzzz" with a mustache and whipped cream. I need to check my attitude at the door man. Leave work at work. My oldest child is 16 years old, a junior in High School and he's getting ready to leave momma. I won't be able to force him to make the right choices anymore, so hopefully I can evolve a bit to help him. And the other three coming along as well. (YIKES! Two freshman next year, AND a fifth grader, I need a baby.)<br />
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S - I have a great "S" word that my husband would love, but I'm going to just say, "Smile" more. If you know me, I'm smiley. I like my teeth. But in the face of adversity I get this weird angry eyebrow thing going. I think people may be scared of me. Oops. I resolve to Smile when I get angry. At least it'll make me laugh at myself and help quell my inner anger.<br />
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O - Organize my life. I am probably the most unorganized
organized person you'll ever know. For real man. I have piles of
fabric and fur and craft supplies that scatter and clutter every corner
of our entire house. Only I know where that green leather is to match
the white fox fur in a bag in Koy's closet. I need to desperately to
organize my stuff. Then my food. Then my work. In that order! <br />
L - Laugh more. Angry frown lines, NO. Laugh lines, OK! For the past week and a half my son has been babysitting a 5 and 3 year old while they're on break from school. They laugh and laugh and laugh at the most random things. "The Dog Ran Up To Me!" giggle, laugh, giggle! etc. I want to laugh more.<br />
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U - Unwind at the end of the day. With wine. :) Perfect. Or wait, not perfect but I can do that! I can also unwind in the Sauna that my husband built for us behind our house. (Sauna plug!) It's lined with red cedar, and has a traditional wood stove with lava rock (we use river rock in our camp Sauna) to hold heat. It's blissfully awesome in there. Wine and a Sauna?! Maybe not, but definitely a Sauna.<br />
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T - Take time. This could be for everything. I tend to rush through everything. Rush, rush, rush. Stress, stress, stress. Rush some more. Hurry up I'm late! I just want to take time to get up, take a shower longer than 6 minutes, maybe even fix my hair once and a while. Spend time sewing by hand, answering questions, etc. Take time to play games with my kids. Geez. I feel all emotional now.<br />
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I - Inspire people. I wonder if I inspire people. I'd like to think I do. But that could just be my ego talking. (Speaking of "ego." When I was in the 8th grade I lost the spelling bee to a girl from Kiana and that was the word I lost on! Now she happens to be my best friend. Off subject but cool.) I want to allow people to see this town for it's beauty, familiarity, and uniqueness that it is. Also I want people to be able to make their own fur hat! :)<br />
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O - Observe nature. I'm an outdoorsy gal. I looooove me some nature.
Especially up here where it's abundant. My life is so fast paced all
the time I just hope to slow down. HEY...maybe that should have been my
"S" word! Yes, I think watching the caribou cross the river would be
grand. <br />
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N - Never say a cuss word again. OK well that is probably not doable. I mean I grew up in a house that cussed, my friends cussed, even my teachers cussed. It's just another way of expressing how mad you are. Maybe I could say, "Navigate" the world of alternative curse words! Expand my adjectives for a snotty person. Rather than calling someone an A-hole today, I did say to them, "Smegma in your face, dummy!" :) <br />
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Those are my resolutions. I wonder how many of them I'll actually accomplish. I do have another one but that's the same one that millions of people have. Exercise more. So I didn't want to waste my "E" on that one. I'll just make that a lifestyle choice rather than a resolution.<br />
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Good luck with yours and wish me luck cause I'm gonna need it. <br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-31321469935218185732013-01-02T22:10:00.001-09:002013-01-02T22:10:32.470-09:00New Years ResolutionWell. Hello friends. (Hi Stef!) Hopefully I'm back forever and ever. I know the number one cardinal sin of bloggers is not to leave your blog feed empty for weeks on end. But seriously... some people have 8-5 jobs. And big families. And live where it's cold and dark for a few months a year. People like me.<br />
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<a href="http://s108.beta.photobucket.com/user/siksu/media/Fall%202010/insta1_zps8a1c59a1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Insta2" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Fall%202010/insta1_zps8a1c59a1.jpg" /></a></div>
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So, hereby I declare, and resolve to post in my blog a few times a week. Which will be much easier than my OTHER new years resolution: To stop swearing so much. For reals people. I'd make a sailor cry. All of us girls would. Ef this and Ef that S. Effin B. etc. So far I've quoted a cuss word and accidentally let one slip earlier today, but I think I'm doing good. EFFING A! (just kidding.)<br />
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Anyway, Happy New year. We're super busy around here. We have some serious activities to keep the darkness at bay. All day Sunday is devoted to Church and family. Monday and Wednesday we work until 5, make dinner and play an average of 6 volleyball games in "old people" volleyball league. Which happens to be the MOST FUN thing EVER. Seriously... we laugh and laugh and play and sweat. It's awesome. Tuesday and Thursday: work, then a simple dinner because we have intensive Zumba at 8:00 pm at the Church. After that we usually Sauna after Zumba, cause my husband loves me and built me a traditional sauna behind the house. Friday we work, dinner, then some school event that's happening for one of the kids. Saturday we have to clean up cause if you didn't notice there isn't any room for "cleaning" in that weekly list! I hate cleaning.<br />
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I feel like I'm non verbally blogging through instagram anyway. If you want to hang out with this Eskimo, you can check me out there under "finnskimo." (Catchy name, huh?!) That and the dreaded time consumer, Facebook. <br />
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<a href="http://s108.beta.photobucket.com/user/siksu/media/Fall%202010/insta2_zpsbc701a95.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Insta1" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Fall%202010/insta2_zpsbc701a95.jpg" /></a></div>
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Hopefully I'll be back at least a few times a week. Have a great new 2013! </div>
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Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-66014095915363921972012-11-04T17:09:00.000-09:002012-11-04T17:09:52.170-09:00Migiaq"Migiaq" is the Inupiaq word for "throw up." Mi-gack is how it sounds, with a more gutteral G. <br />
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It's highly appropriate for several reasons. <br />
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Halloween always makes me want to Migiaq. Too much candy. Inappropriate costumes for people. Drunkards acting ridiculous at the annual Dance. Migiaq.<br />
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And then, whatever's on my sewing table too.<br />
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This year a cheetah migiaq-ed on my table. <br />
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<a href="http://s108.beta.photobucket.com/user/siksu/library/Winter%202011" target="_blank"><img alt="fabric pumpkin" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/293878_4405503429624_1556506803_n.jpg" /></a> </div>
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I made two separate pairs of pants for the girl. Because she wanted to have a full body suit. One pair fit exceptionally well, but it was skintight and for a 9 year old I didn't like it. One pair fit except for the butt (we have been cursed with large behinds) and finally I gave up at 8:30 p.m. and made her a skirt instead.<br />
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We used zulu knots with bobby pins to "curl" her hair overnight after a shower so she could have some great "Wild" hair. It worked.<br />
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<a href="http://s108.beta.photobucket.com/user/siksu/library/Winter%202011" target="_blank"><img alt="Hair cheetah" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/523513_4408476863958_1053976310_n.jpg" /></a> </div>
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My costume also made a few people Migiaq too. Dean and I went as Zombie Bride and Groom. A few weeks ago I did some moulage with a few other nurses for the required disaster drill at the hospital and learned how to use tissue and liquid latex to make burns and scar tissue wounds on people. Perfect timing for Halloween.<br />
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<a href="http://s108.beta.photobucket.com/user/siksu/library/Winter%202011" target="_blank"><img alt="maija zombie" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/533571_4410373391370_1404817498_n.jpg" /></a> </div>
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I used my actual wedding dress, burned a few holes in one of Dean's dress shirts, bought a $1 tie for him and ripped up some pants of his. Not to toot my own horn but I really liked these costumes! <br />
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Anyway, to finish Kaisa's costume, I sewed some boot covers, some fingerless gloves, we made ears and attached a tail to her skirt. <br />
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<a href="http://s108.beta.photobucket.com/user/siksu/library/Winter%202011" target="_blank"><img alt="Cheetah face" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/kaisacheetah3.jpg" /></a> </div>
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I waited until after lunch to paint her face like a Cheetah. (Although it's sort of interchangeable from a cheetah to a leopard!)<br />
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My daughter went overboard on candy collecting this year, which made her Migiaq yesterday also. Gross. Candy throw up!<br />
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<a href="http://s108.beta.photobucket.com/user/siksu/library/Winter%202011" target="_blank"><img alt="Cheetah Girl" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/kaisacheetah.jpg" /></a></div>
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"Rawr..."</div>
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Now...if I ever see Cheetah Fabric again, I'll Migiaq. <br />
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There is your lesson of the day. :) Happy Sunday. I am so thankful it's November! <br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-2104560087976384342012-10-10T16:59:00.003-08:002012-10-10T16:59:45.025-08:00New Old TreasuresThis weekend Dean and I celebrated our anniversary
. We usually head off to the big city of Anchorage for a long weekend of just us. Little did we know that the stupid <a href="http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/2012-alaska-permanent-fund-dividend-payout-878">Alaska PFD</a>
direct deposit was also arriving in the big city the day we were to leave Kotzebue.<br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=1cabin.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="House" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/1cabin.jpg" /></a> </div>
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It was craziness. Something that we will try NOT to experience again! Especially since he brought only one pair of pants so we could buy some more and ended up at American Eagle (he's not too old!) behind a bunch of spoiled teenagers. Mission accomplished though, he did get three pairs of jeans. <br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=1piles.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="piles" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/1piles.jpg" /></a> </div>
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So, to pass the time, aside from eating 15 lbs of good food, we ran off to Chickaloon for a day to visit my dad. My dad who had a horrible bruise from falling down a hill while my mom is here taking care of our kids. My dad who had several guns on the couch where I was going to take a nap. <br />
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I took a nap despite those guns. And then picked some high-bush cranberries. And took a walk around the rainy trail to the other cabin. <br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=1sewing.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="machine" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/1sewing.jpg" /></a> </div>
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Whenever I visit Chickaloon, I always find something new, that's old. They collect cool antique stuff that's practical. This trip I drooled over my mom's new treadle sewing machine. I can't believe they end up with such cool new (old) stuff. Man. I'm totally jealous.<br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=1sportsmen.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="cover" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/1sportsmen.jpg" /></a> </div>
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Another new old pile I found was bound by old twine, and the very first magazine I opened had a story about Della Keats in it. They traveled to the "Purple River" to look for masru. Very cool. Very informative. I also remember traveling like that when I was a kid. Up river, kakisaaq-ing and pushing the boat out. <br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=1della.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Della" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/1della.jpg" /></a> </div>
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Next time I visit, I hope to see the loom my grandmother gave to my mom. :) Then I'll REALLY be excited. And by that time, the belt on the treadle will be fixed and I can sew too.Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2250327881833503609.post-82345446410346760102012-09-24T16:56:00.003-08:002012-09-24T16:56:53.480-08:00Da Bears...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*Warning - photos of dead animals follow this message! </i></span></span></div>
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About a week ago I found out due to budget constraints and "blah, blah, blah," I was going to lose my job. (You don't really hear much after, "I'm sorry to have to inform you that you're going to lose your job..." right?!)<br />
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Luckily, though, I was able to transfer into another position fairly quickly within the association. Emergency averted.<br />
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After I found out about the reduction-in-force layoffs for this year, I was a bit down. So my pal sent for me. We spent the weekend laying around on her couch, eating great food (sort of, I had the flu!) and talking about life, in general. Which was exactly what I needed.<br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=P1000122.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Kotzebue" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/P1000122.jpg" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">My "village" </span></i></div>
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My husband...well, when he is worried, or scared, or even if he's happy and calm and carefree, he goes hunting. <br />
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He and a friend of his took off Saturday to camp up river, hoping for some caribou. Since you can't fly and shoot in the same day, they set up camp and fiddled around with Kobuk the dog that night. (No, we are NOT getting a new dog!)<br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=P1000070.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Kobuk VS Bear" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/P1000070.jpg" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>"I fought the dog and the dog won..."</i></span></div>
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The next day, they saw nothing except a huge brown bear walking around their camp. Bear is better than nothing right? So my husband shot it. <br />
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And now we have a huge mo-fo bear hide in the freezer waiting to be tanned, and I hate bear meat. But apparently it was pretty big for a bear (nine foot three inches, something like that) and pretty old (23 or 24 years old) so it was a good catch. <br />
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Plus it always makes him feel better to shoot something and bring it home. He totally reminds me of a kid bringing home a new frog or puppy or something. "Look what I brought home honey!!" Oh joy. Bear. <br />
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<a href="http://s108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/?action=view&current=P1000153.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Deans Bear" border="0" src="http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n20/siksu/Winter%202011/P1000153.jpg" /></a> </div>
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Anyway, luckily some of his friends got a moose and gave us a front shoulder so he ground it up and made 30 bs of moose summer sausage (HOLY COW it is SO GOOD!). Moose meat? YES. Bear meat? No. So I'm happy now. Ground moose, ground caribou and a bear hide. <br />
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I decided it would make a great garage door in the wintertime. Either that or we will use it as a rug at camp this winter! haha.<br />
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The joys of being an Eskimo. Oh, and it snowed today too.<br />
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Have a great week.<br />
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P.S. I didn't take these photos, either Dean or his friend Chad did. :) But they're pretty good!<br />
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<br />Finnskimohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15796494092961147276noreply@blogger.com6