Strawberry Jam!

At 8:30 this morning Heather and Christopher and I headed out to pick strawberries!!! We picked 4 gallons, and even with my gimpy hip, and picking right behind everyone else on the same row, I still picked faster =) I was glad for the help though- I don't think I would have had the stamina to get that many berries on my own!
As we were leaving I was wondering if I had gotten enough berries.....

35 jars of jam later, I realize I had gotten plenty! Heather came over to grandma Bublitz's with me, and we spent most of the day working on berries. I even mashed some up into a syrup with lots of chunks to put over pancakes later. I thought about mashing up some more, but Heather quite emphatically told me I was "done". I guess I got a little carried away with strawberries =) But, people will be eating my jam all winter long, and I even have some berries left to make some pies tomorrow! We finally finished up around 5 and then I left to eat my yummy supper of refried beans and sour cream...about the most consistent food I can eat right now on my liquid diet- as it requires no chewing. I thought about taking a nap then, but Christopher was cleaning the house so I joined him, and soon started in on the yard. So much for "taking it easy"...I barely sat down all day! I feel much better for it though I think!

surgery

The normal side of my face....
And the other.....
Apparently when only one side of your face is swollen, your mouth goes lopsided....
I think I can get these.....it really doesn't look bad- just bruised and swollen a bit. The incision was only about 2 1/2 inches long.
Well, I had my bone graft surgery on Thursday already! The doctor took some bone out of my hip and put it into my jaw in three different places. The surgery was originally going to take 3 hours, with one hour of recovery and then I was told I could leave....but then they were only going to graft bone into two spots. It ended up taking an extra 2 hours and they had to pull out a few more bone fragments....one of them I knew was there, as it had been working its way out and was sitting partly out of my gum line, the other part they must have found while they were doing the graft. There is an 80% chance that the graft will take, and then I will be able to get my teeth implants in 4-6 months, once I am healed up. I am looking forward to having a normal mouth again =) They wanted me to spend the night at the hospital, but I talked them into letting me check out that same day. I am back on a liquid diet for another week and a half, and no alcohol at the moment because of my antibiotics I am on.....I take 4 different medications right now- kind of a pain to remember, but I was supposed to be on a steroid too- I just chose not to take them- they were sort of optional. Overall, I am feeling really good, considering. I am "taking it easy" as advised, but I haven't let it stop me from doing everything- I still manage to make my days productive, and I can walk fine. I am on day 4 of recovery and feel tons better than yesterday- if I feel this much improved tomorrow I will be doing everything again in no time! I had what they call a "Stryker pain Pump" in my side for the first two days- with a tube that pumped numbing stuff into my hip. After two days there was nothing left in there, and as I had left Duluth, I got permission from the doctor to pull the tube out myself rather than drive back up. It was an odd feeling pulling a 6 inch tube out of your hip, but it suprisingly did not hurt. I am now debating if I can pull out the stitches in my hip this Thursday and avoid yet another doctor's visit...I pulled some out of my lip after my first trip to the hospital....that wasn't bad. The ones they pulled out of my chin were more imbedded and hard even for the nurse to get though, so I am wondering what these ones are going to be like. I think I have decided to try and make an appointment for Thursday morning tomorrow and if I don't get it, I will do it myself. I can't do it earlier and don't want to wait around for something like that....fourth of July weekend- I will be off! =)

I give up....

I am never going to catch up on all the photos and things from this spring! I give up trying. Sporadically I will just post some pictures from things that happened back in Alaska, but from here on out I am just starting afresh and going to try and stay at least somewhat updated. Riiight...it is summer, after all.

village prices

So while I did make more money while up in the bush...things also cost a lot more! Typically I did all my shopping for the year in Anchorage and then shipped it to my village, but sometimes you just want or need something at the store. I usually only went to the store bout every other week...sometimes only once a month, but each trip inevitably cost me about $30. A big splurge for me, if I was feeling I deserved it was to go down to the store and get a can of pop for just over a buck. Buying in bulk didn't save anything there- a 12 pack was still $12.
Just to give a quick idea....a newspaper, loaf of bread (cheap kind), 2 cans of spagetti sauce, some yeast and some on sale about to expire canadian bacon pieces cost me over $30.

This can opener, far from a top quality one was only $14.99Hmm...ptarmigan....free. No wonder why people in the bush shoot everything. I saw this guy while out on a walk with Mark and Sadie near tank farm.

Pictures by Kids!

I often let my kids use my digital camera during lab times, so they can get used to knowing how to click and shoot pictures. Many of these pictures are deleted right away, however, some are nice or just downright comical.
My kids thought this was hilarious to write......I thought it was educational =) Yep, it says I love you Huny....my kids spell phonetically, which is appropriate for Kindergarten.
What a lovely hat one of my kids made me.....
After a picture of two each, the camera goes away.....I guess it came to that time.
I really do love "my" kids =) This was a great year of teaching. I had an absolutely wonderful class.

Past Due #2- Skiing to Nex Crick

While this is working.....more pictures! This is from the following Saturday from the previous post....we had so much fun we had to get out again.... This first picture is of some ptarmigan tracks...think there were a few running around there? Looks like a ptarmigan party to me! Interesting how all the tracks are parallel....



Melody and Mary....
me and Sadie....

One of my favorite views, no matter how many times I see it!

Spring Ski....past-due post #1

Here are some pictures from when I went skiing after a big snowstorm with my two neighbors, Mary and Melody....obviously from up in Alaska yet. Pictures are loading tonight! At least I will get a little caught up! Need to head to head to bed soon though. This was a Beautiful day out!.....took Sadie with of course- she had a great time too =)

I know, I suck.....

I can't help it, things are crazy busy, and this just is not a priority for me right now. When I do try to make time to post, the pictures take forever to load, then quit loading so I just give up....will try again tonight- I really do want to get a little bit caught up and get it off my mind. Also- once the pictures are on here, I can get them onto my external harddrive....granted further free-time I don't have, and off my computer! Almost reaching 9,000 at the moment. I know- it is ridiculous....but I like my camera.....today not so much- it wasn't working for awhile and was really frustrating me! But, it did pull through and I got some awesome shots, which I will post eventually if able....

I am into my last week of my Masters program, so I have a couple very busy days ahead of me...but then one major thing will be off my plate. I am not even attempting working on it right now as my brain is sun fried I think....I spent 6 1/2 hours out in the sun paddling today...will post more on that later, but for now, I will just say I had a great weekend and got outside a lot, which of course makes me happy....as everyone knows.

Tomorrow....last Masters project, re-doing my last project as I realized I was missing a small part, going and getting my accounting stuff figured out for my new job, and helping my brother and Dad plant our garden (?!) Obviously this one will take a back burner, but I hate to not help out, as it will be my garden too, so we will see if I can squeeze in some time and just hit it hard...
Anyways, will try posting a few pictures tonight- but if you don't see them, the computer was going slow again and I lost patience! =) Need to get some sleep so I can get stuff done tomorrow....have been running on very little sleep this week. Nothing abnormal of course!

OK, OK....

So, I really just haven't been on here and have been way too busy lately! I am finally moved back to Minnesota, and am actually in Missouri right now....headed back to MN tomorrow, then in two days I am headed back up to Duluth for more dental stuff. I have gotten some stuff figured out--I will be having a surgery on June 25th for my bone regrafting....they were pretty optomistic that they could take some bone out from my jaw under where my wisdom teeth were to use...but after further information I am missing too much bone and they will need to take bone out of my hip for my jaw. I'm not thinking it will be too bad....they said maybe I will be on crutches for a couple days, but afer that I am hoping to be right back into doing stuff. I told the doctors I was planning to camp in Duluth after my surgery (because they asked)....but they didn't seem to think that was a great idea. So, I told them I have a friend I could stay with....was still planning to camp, but turns out I may have family coming with me. I doubt they will let me =(....maybe.....

I am moved in with my brother for the time being- going to be working in West Salem next year as a 4 year old Kindergarten teacher. I am hoping to start building my cabin in August, thinking I may get an apartment in West Salem for a little bit, until that is far enough along to live in =)
I am going to start doing a bunch of posts tonight.....really quick with my pictures just to try and get caught up a bit! Will try to stay updated with what I am doing this summer as well.....but I don't get online quite as much when it is so nice out!