Death by Christmas Bulbs

Depending upon the circumstances, my sense of humor can multiply by the minute, or my patience can quarter by the second. Living in the bush provides daily opportunities for both, constantly testing my ability to find the silver lining. In this case, I couldn't help but laugh hysterically, knowing there was nothing else we could do.

After a week away at a special ed. conference, I had piles of laundry, and little time to catch up on household chores and lesson plans. I still had a week's worth of homework to grade, and what seemed like a months worth to do between the three courses I am taking this semester. I was overwhelmed and interested in one thing, and one thing only, as my 10:00pm bedtime approached: sleep. I decided that I was going to call it quits and carry-on with the endless work in the morning.

I climbed out of the recliner and headed towards the bathroom to complete my evening routine before climbing into bed. As I hit the lights, I saw a flicker in the dark, windowless bathroom and nothing else. Go figure, one of the most exhausting nights since our move and I can't complete my nightly ritual or morning ritual for that matter, until the bulbs have been changed.

I called my 6'3" husband into the bathroom, begging him to utilize the gift of height God gave him and change the bulbs. We were stocked with energy efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs in the pantry, that we haven't been able to use since the move. I bounced down the stairs, knowing the quicker I retrieved the bulbs, the quicker I could hit the hay.

Low and behold, after making it all the way to the first floor, my husband hollered from the one above saying there was no use. I began thinking about all of the things that would prevent us from fixing a damn light bulb, knowing it doesn't take an electrician to replace a light bulb. Lefty-loosey, righty-tighty, right? Not in the mood for nonsense, but lacking the ability to control myself, I bickered back asking if he needed a woman to do the job. Needless to say, he wasn't amused, and by the time I made it to the bathroom, he held the 24 inch fluorescent tube he unscrewed from behind the fixture.

I was in awe that teacher housing, about 350 miles from the nearest Lowes, installed fixtures that required fluorescent tube bulbs. Knowing we had tube lighting on the underside of our cabinetry, we thought we'd be able to interchange them. But of course, what's better than installing "one size fits all" fixtures with fluorescent tube bulbs? Installing a different sized fluorescent tube bulb in three different locations. There was no hope in replacing the bulb that night.

We donned our resourceful hats and decided we could handle a temporary fix until talking to the maintenance guys in the morning. We survived the evening by "installing" two twelve-foot strands of white Christmas lights, held at the seams where the walls met the ceiling. The only thing more redneck than the Christmas lights in the bathroom was the duct tape that held them there.

Sadly enough, the strands still hang on our walls as the school doesn't provide the awkward bulbs, and we'll be sharing the Christmas spirit until Amazon decides to send our shipment. We can only pray that the moisture-sensitive duct tape holds, as the steam builds in our morning showers!

Maybe this is why I'm having a hard time feeling like spring's on its way?

Much love,

Brie

Looking Ahead

The pups are fine and have transitioned into having a sibling in the house. Daisy seems to love it out here. She has plenty of things and people to bark at outside. While she still loves going outside, she loves coming inside, too. The neighbor's dog loves barking, and has Daisy feeling a little sheepish to keep up. I'm happy she's taken a backseat to having that talent, but I wish she'd go nuts some day when other people are trying to sleep so our neighbor would know how much it stinks listening to someone else's dog go crazy.

Work has been great. While progress is slow, and sometimes seems nonexistant, I can tell my students are comprehending more of what they read and becoming more independent to complete their work. I don't know if they're making the connection with the relevance of their work, but I haven't lost hope yet.

I'm starting to fall in love with this village and the people in it. I can't tell you how much I enjoy hearing one of the lunch ladies call me "smiley" every day. She may not know my first name, but I'm glad she acknowledges my smile every day. But then again, why wouldn't she notice a smile, she's feeding me! In addition to the nice people, I'm starting to love the sunshine that peaks over the horizon in the morning, and sets a little later each day. It's a sign of hope that the one year we thought would be the most difficult for us as individuals and as a couple, is halfway over, and we survived. We're stroger than we thought, which is a pretty empowering feeling.

With that said, Brandon and I have agreed to sign another contract with Southwest Region School District if one's given. We're looking forward to the close of this year, and the new year approaching. As for the summer, we'll be flying home on May 20th to spend the summer with the likes of you. It's nice having something to look forward to on a daily basis. The first half of the summer, we'll be living with Jim and Dee in Ankeny. Brandon will be working from home for the summer so we can maximize the time we have with each side of the family. The second half of the summer, we'll be living in Wisconsin, to enjoy the time we have with my parents and siblings.

Meanwhile, we're doing fine and sending our thoughts and prayers to Bryce, Andrea and Kalee, as Andrea and Bryce overcome a scary, sickfilled weekend. Our love to you three and a half! We'll see you in May!

Brie

Long Time No Post

Over break, the biggest complaint we received was that we stopped writing on the blog. We haven't done it to keep anyone out of the loop, but when the life that feels like a constant adventure begins to feel like regular old life, you lose that urge to write about it. Anyway, this is my effort to write about our life in an adventurous way, for those of you living vicariously through us!

Since our last post, we've experienced cross-country skiing (pictured above), a Christmas Pageant, early flights out, Christmas vacation, a departure weekend in Chicago and traveling to the lower 48 and back with animals. So let's go back to the beginning.

It's refreshing to work in a school that recognizes Christmas and not just "winter break". Not only did we have a twenty foot tree, cut down and decorated by the students in our cafeteria, lit and all, but we also put on a school-wide Christmas pageant where what seemed to be the entire community congregated on the 23rd of December. We had students performing dances, singing songs, and doing skits over everything from Mele-kelikimaka, to Carol of the bells. The 6th and 7th graders reenacted the birth of Jesus, including the three wise men, Mary, Joseph, and angels surrounding the scenery. My students introduced me to the "Candle Dance". What's a candle dance, you ask? A dance where the students carry candles. Each class was responsible for doing something for the pageant, and this was what my class chose to do. I quickly informed them that I had no idea what a candle dance was, so if they wanted to do it, they'd be choreographing the entire thing, start to finish, I'd purchase the music on I-tunes and make sure we had candles of some sort. It turned out to be marching band configurations with artificial flickering tea-lights in the dark. The community loved it, but apparently they love it every year.

That day, Brandon had to fly out early to get Huxley to the vet before we flew. Originally, the air taxi assured us we'd be into Anchorage between 1:00 and 2:00pm on the 24th, leaving us enough time to make it to our 5:00pm appointment, but as the day drew near, the tunes changed between a dozen people. On Tuesday, the 22nd, at about 9pm, I was told that an administrator of ours pushed back the flights to make sure that there were teachers to monitor students during the early dismissal that Thursday, and our air taxi wouldn't be arriving until 2:30-3:00pm. I was infuriated, much like everyone else who'd passed the news onto me, but instead of passing that news onto someone else and stewing about it, I decided to do something about it.

I was laying in bed, knowing I wouldn't sleep, as Brandon and I problem-solved to get Huxley to a vet before we flew (TSA requires health certificates for any pet traveling in the belly or within the cabin of the plane; without one, we'd be leaving Huxley in Anchorage for 17 days at $30 a day, or staying in Anchorage until he was cleared to fly). I sat up and stated, "If his light is on, I'm going over there and confronting him about messing with our flight plans!" Brandon pleaded with me not to go, certain I'd lose my job for showing up at his door at 10:00pm, but I didn't care at that point. My mentality was that I didn't want to work here anymore if they were going to change flight arrangements two days before take-off. So, I trudged over to his door, told him what I heard, asked if it was true, and got every piece of information and explanation I was looking for. Whether he was behind the flight change or not, I wasn't about to let it go without talking to the air taxi myself. That night, when I returned, I assured Brandon I hadn't lost my job, even if I had felt like I'd lost my mind, and we discussed the option of having him fly the following morning if I could arrange it with Denaina.

The next morning, first thing, I called Denaina, only to find that business hours 8-5 in Alaska terms, means whenever they answer the phone, after 8 and before 5. I got a hold of them around 9, and discussed our predicament. I'm fairly certain the girl on the phone thought she was dealing with a lunatic, but lunatic or not, we put Brandon and Huxley on the flight that afternoon. I called Brandon, informed him of his flight change, and had him pack Huxley, the cooler and his bag, to be ready to go by noon. I was relieved that we switched his flight, but spent the next four hours concerned about my two babies flying out of the bush. There were 65 mile an hour winds that day, and landings, turbulance and headwinds were all something to be reckoned with. After turbulance bumpy enough for Brandon to hit his head on the ceiling of the plane (with his seatbelt on), and a stop in Kenai to refuel, Brandon called around 5:00pm to tell me they'd landed safely.

Apparently my persistance paid off for Brandon and me, and a number of other people. The following day, Denaina showed up in New Stu at 12:30pm, placing us in Anchorage at 2:45. That sure beat the heck out of a 2:30 departure! I was proud of myself for being determined enough to right what I thought was wrong, and be assertive with the people I felt the need to approach. The rest of the trip home was smooth sailing, with the exception of the lady sitting next to me on the redeye to Chicago doped up on Ambien, pooring over into my seat, and the DMV visit in Anchorage, but that's a wrong I'll right in February...darn test!

Christmas vacation was one of the best yet. We were able to spend the holiday with both my family and Brandon's parents, and for New Year's Eve, we traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to see Brandon's brother Bryce, his wife Andrea and their daughter Kalee. With the exception of falling down the stairs that night, I was happy to have brought in the New Year with them, even if I went to bed at 11:30pm. Between holidays and before flying back to Alaska, I was able to visit Maxwell and see some of my old co-workers and students, and visit Belmond. Boy was it bittersweet to visit a place that fits you so well, but then reality sets in that you no longer belong there. So many what-ifs went through my head on the drive that day, but I made my mind up by the time I got to Belmond that New Stu was where we're meant to be. I went to Belmond that evening and was greeted by the best former roommate, Aunt Jeannie, and Uncle Pat. I miss our life in the shabby old apartment we used to live in, the nice townhouse we made into our home back in Ankeny, the nights out to eat and our visits to the casino. It was so nice to relive some of those memories that night. We went out to eat with a dozen family members that night and finished off the evening at my Aunt Mary's, catching up on who was where doing what these days.

The following morning, I woke up and visited my grandpa and his wife, Lee. I had never really visited him by myself before, and being one of the youngest of the six in my family, I only remember exploring the pool tables and trinkets in his basement, while the adults talked in the kitchen over coffee. That day was a day I'll never forget. I got grandpa all to myself to talk about whatever rolled off our tongues. I realized a few things that day that I feel appropriate to share:

1) No matter how many silly things come out of my grandpa's mouth, there will always be more truth and wisdom backing them than anyone will ever give him credit for. I respect him about as much as I could ever respect a man, and I resent anyone who will try to discredit him.

2) For an old man, he's more informed and "hip" than anyone I know. He knew who Mark Zuckersberg was (Facebook creator), not to be confused with a current politician Lee was talking about.

3) He may appear to be a hardass, but for those of you who really know him, he's one of the most soft-hearted and kindest men you'll ever meet.

As funny as this might sound to you, despite the physical pain my grandpa's been through in the recent years, I'm thankful for the health impairments that have forced him to spend some time at my parents' house. It's really given me an opportunity to get to know him and him me. I love him and I'm thankful for the times I've spent with him that allow me to write down and refer to in years to come.

After my visit with my grandpa, I drove back to Ankeny and spent the evening with some of the best co-workers and friends I've made. My friends, Melissa and Jean, orchestrated an evening out at HuHot with all of my favorite coworkers, minus Kate (who I got to see the week before), where we were able to catch up. I wish I could bring them back to Alaska with me so I could see them every day, but at some point I need to face reality. I can't wait for the summer to spend my days golfing and hanging out with them!

Thursday night, we spent our final evening with Dee and Jim at Waterfront's Seafood Market, drinking long islands, keylime martinis, eating sushi, coconut shrimp and clam chowder. It was a really great time chatting and laughing the evening away. After leaving there, I got to see my friend Megan. It was so great catching up with her and hearing about how well life's going for her. I was excited we visited our old stomping ground, Okiboji. It felt like old times again. I'm really excited to spend some time with her this summer, too!

The two weeks flew and we ended them with an evening out with my Aunt Sue and Uncle Dick at Houlihan's. We packed everything up, including Daisy (Jim was heartbroken, but we'll make it up to him some day!) that evening and got ready to depart the following morning. The next day, we drove to Chicago. We had to fly out on the 9th, so my parents, sister SueAnne, brother-in-law Jeff, sister Therese, Aunt Stacey, Uncle Dan, cousin Justin and friend Jonathan experienced the 8th in Chicago and a "last meal" at Bahama Breeze (one of my favorite Caribbean restaurants in the world). Leaving them was painful, knowing the next time we'll see them is five months away, but living life with something to look forward to isn't always a bad thing.

Well, there's your novel, catching you up to present day. We've spent the last week working, and I'll spend the next week in Dillingham for work, doing transition camps. I'm excited for the visit to the city, where hopefully we'll be able to get some groceries we forgot to pack over break. Everyone be sure to remind me to buy peroxide, rubbing alcohol, almond extract, and lots of produce!

Love you all!

Brie

Togiak Visit

On December 8th, I embarked on a trip that really made me question whether New Stuyahok was my best option for village life. While I have a ton of reasons to love New Stu, I was met by majestic snow-capped mountains, greeted by a frozen bay, and fell in love with the produce selection at the local AC-all pretty amazing features for a village in bush Alaska. But the best part of the visit was the quality time I was able to spend with my little sister.

Togiak's school, located three miles outside of town, had a beautiful view and nice students and staff. I was able to observe the high school sped program to gain insight and ideas I could implement at New Stuyahok. After three days of discussion, comparison and contrast of the two programs, I ended the week feeling very confident about the program we've implemented in New Stu. It was nice to come back feeling good about what I do, instead of looking for ways to change.

Backtracking a little, the flight out was probably the most amazing flight I've taken in my entire life. I flew out of New Stu with Grant Air Taxi, and landed in Koliganek for the first time. It wasn't much to look at from the landing strip, but the passengers that climbed aboard were pleasant. From there, we landed in Dillingham, where I was able to catch a ride into town and do some shopping until my next flight came in. After checking out both grocery stores, and finding out the espresso shop was closed for the holidays, AIA called and gave me a heads up that we'd be flying out momentarily. So, I loaded up my things and headed out to the airport with their shuttle.

I was greeted by Matt, a pilot I had heard about before. I was able to introduce myself with reference to our mutual connection, and he seemed to take me under his wing. I sat in the co-pilot's seat of the plane, wore the head gear, and was able to talk with him the entire flight out. He flew us between the mountains instead of over them, what seemed to be about three to five-hundred feet up. We saw a number of dark figures below, which he identified as moose. He showed me where they landed their summer float plane and where they did summer hunt trips. As we flew amidst the beauty, Matt played some of Mobey's more ambient music through his Ipod and the headgear, making me feel like I was a part of a National Geographic special, in the midst of discovering another planet. During these moments, I was so frustrated with myself that I couldn't find the camera in the minutes before I left New Stu.

My time in Togiak was well spent. Beyond the previous comments about the sped program and the school, I was impressed with my little sister and her abilities to transform a classroom of hoodlums into some straight-laced, motivated kids. She has a way to connect with her students, her athletes and her coworkers, and I was beyond proud to call her my little sister. Spending the week/weekend with Claire was fun. We painted our nails, cooked and vegged together. Some of our highlights were our cooking sessions of vegetable pizza and homemade coleslaw, and our 3 mile trek through the tundra into town and back. We even got to color my hair, although it barely tinted it. Finley was adorable and seemed to know Huxley lived with me because he was crazy over me when I first showed up. I'll be excited to see how the two of them get along over Christmas. I'm crossing my fingers that Claire brings him home, despite the costs from the airlines.

Anyway, we're currently watching the finale of "The Biggest Loser". Brandon, Dani, Ron and I have decided that we're going to begin our own version when we come back from break. Wish us luck!

See you all in 10 days or a few thereafter. We're so flippin' excited!

Love you,

Brie

New additions!!

Well the past week or so have been pretty fun out here. The snow has been falling pretty regularly and I have been able to explore the tundra with some of the guys and their snowmobiles. Unfortunately I do not have a snowmobile so I am pulling in a big metal sled; i have been using my life jacket as a cushion for my bum. The first time I went out four other guys and myself took off about 5 or so miles outside of town to do some skiing and snowboarding. We don't have to many hills around here so we just get pulled by the snowmobile. I fell once on the skis but got right back up and was good to go!! I found out some interesting things that day, 1. My goggles suck - they froze on the inside and fogged up. I guess I wont buy cheap goggles anymore off of Amazon.com. 2. Skiing is not like riding a bike - you do forget some of the techniques needed in order to not spend the day on the ground. 3. The boots Brie and I bought are huge and definitely keep our feet warm but difficult to hike around in. 4. Being pulled in a metal sled hurts the butt a bit.

About a week after the skiing and metal sled day, Brie and I decided it was too nice out to be indoors so we loaded up our snow gear and headed over to a big hill next to our place to attempt to go sledding with a plastic bin. We took the lid just in case it would be easier than me trying to fit inside a bin. Once we got to the hill we realized that going down this hill would be stupid in a bin and luckily we found a nice saucer sled laying around. I was the first to go and it was a fun ride down until I got to the bottom and realized that there was a nice bump in the path which of course I headed right for and then landed on my already sore behind from that darn sled! Once I landed I rolled off of the saucer and into a snow pile next to the tree that I nearly because very personal with. It was fun but a little rough for an Iowa guy; usually our hills have grass under the snow but here we enjoyed frozen dirt!! Brie went down a couple times and followed with the bump and fall technique that I invented a few turns before. It was a fun afternoon and one we needed after being stuck inside for a while. After we got home that evening I ran to my computer and ordered a new sled. It was much easier buying sleds as a kid because I fit in anything but now I am an adult and most sleds would break by the thought of me sitting in them.

Brie and I decided that we needed to buy something that would give us an opportunity to leave the village for a day or so but that wasn't going to cost us 4,000 - 5,000 thousand dollars. A while back I suggested that we purchase some cross country skis. When it snows here you can go anywhere because all of the rivers and streams are frozen so basically the tundra is our playground. Both Brie and I have downhill skied before but neither one of us has ever cross country skied. There is a BIG difference. About a week ago our skis finally arrived in the mail and this past Sunday Brie's principal was kind enough to help us put them together. It wasn't a difficult process so if we ever order any more then I will be able to do them myself. Sunday afternoon it was a pretty warm day here. It was almost 40 and the snow was starting to get very sloppy which isn't the best condition for Cross Country skiing. Brie and I decided to venture out anyway just to see what it was like to cross country ski.....It was difficult but fun at the same time. We both need to learn some techniques but over time we will get the hang of it. We have been told that its better with powdery snow so hopefully we get some of that soon.

Aside from the snow sports Brie and I have been busy with some dogs around here. This mother dog randomly showed up one day a few weeks ago and just seemed to always be around when ever we were outside. We didn't know what her name was so we called her Nipsy - we later found out her name is actually smearal. Dint ask!! One day when Brie was walking home from school Nipsy had two little puppies with her. One was golden colored with a little black and the other was black and looked like a husky. We found out last weekend that both puppies belonged to Nipsy. The puppies would show up at our door basically every day and I would put out some Cheerios or anything else we had that we probably wouldn't eat. We dint know who they belonged to or if they even had an owner. Sometimes we brought the puppies in and gave them some water and a chance to get warm. We found out this past weekend who they belonged to and were told to take them if we wanted them. Well both Brie and I are softies when it comes to dogs and Brie's sister Claire wanted a dog so she took the black one back with her to Togiak and Brie and I kept the little golden one; we have since named it Huxley. He will be coming home for Christmas with us so flying should be interesting. We are putting him up in the plane with us under our seats so hopefully he wont whine to much!!

Brie and I are hosting Thanksgiving on Thursday. We are expecting 10-15 people. We have a nice 16 lb turkey, a 10 lb ham, mashed potato's, stuffing, homemade ice cream. The other people coming are bringing some thing as well; it should be a lot of fun and we should have a ton of food! We both hate missing the holiday with our families but we are really happy to be sharing it with some good friends!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! Eat tons of food and take some nice long naps!

Love from the Icebox!

Brandon

The other side of the coin...

My last post was a little bit of a downer, and knowing how easy it is to spiral out of control in response to the force of gravity, I felt compelled to write a more upbeat “Top Ten” list to counterbalance my previous entry.

Top Ten Reasons to Live in Bush Alaska:

10. No matter how rough things get, eventually it gets so boring focusing on the negatives, that the only thing to do when you’re done is search out the positives.

9. While still cold as hell, the snow falls in colossal-sized flakes that look like doilies blanketing the earth.

8. Watching the same episodes or movies over and over again almost always gives you an opportunity to recognize something you didn’t notice before.

7. Similar to number eight, interacting with the same people on a daily basis, in the same settings, with the same dynamics influencing each situation, almost always gives you an opportunity to recognize characteristics or value something in a person you didn’t recognize or value before.

6. Without the hustle and bustle of city life, you have the time to explore and develop interests in ubiquitous objects. Suddenly, a box of crayons or packable snow can hold my attention for hours, and leave me with a sense of accomplishment lacking a trace of productivity when I’m finished.

5. Distance truly does make the heart grow fonder.

4. I’ve developed packing and traveling skills that force me to be prepared for anything, making me a much more laid-back and enjoyable person to travel with. Even ask Brandon!

3. At the dinner table, there’s always room for one more, whether we’re visiting or having visitors, and that warmth and sense of belonging never fails to remind me of my wonderful parents.

2. I’ve learned how to make Doritos out of tortilla chips, powdered cheese and taco seasoning.

1. Homesickness is only a sign of how blessed one is to have someone to love, miss and look forward to reuniting with. I feel very sorry for people who take more pride in proving their independence to no one, than sharing a life with someone.

It truly is an amazing place out here, and I’d hate for my moments of pessimism to seep through and taint the perspective for anyone else wishing to experience this lifestyle; all because I didn’t have the right frame of mind to acknowledge the beauty of life in the Bush. Regardless of the situation, this experience is making me a better wife, and a better person. I’m learning to choose my battles and articulate my needs, both fronts I’ve been known to fall short on. And I’m really enjoying some of the more artistic sides of me that I haven’t really been in touch with since elementary school. It’s amazing how therapeutic crayons can be on a rough day. Anyway, I really am lucky to be out here with a wonderful, supportive husband, who seems to know just what to say when I need a break or some encouraging words. I’m also lucky to be getting the notes and conversations from the amazing friends and family back home. It's a time for giving thanks, so giving thanks is what I'm going to try to do.

Love you all,

Brie

Venting Session

Top 10 Truths about Bush Alaska that they don't tell you when you move here.

10. Internet service and HDMI cables, no matter what the cost, are a necessity for your sanity and connection to the outside world. **Caution: craziness is almost inavoidable.**

9. Coastal or not, it gets frickin’ cold here and any outdoor gear brought up from the lower 48 will probably serve better as kindling for a fire, than insulation for your body.

8. Everything is going to cost at least three times as much.

7. Everything shipped is going to take at least three times as long.

6. The only time anything is on sale is when it’s expired. At that point, it only costs twice as much.

5. All flight times and destinations are subject to change and your pilot may or may not be on his cell phone the duration of your flight.

4. Accountability for lost bypass mail falls on the shoulders of the purchaser, not the shipper.

3. The post office gets all major holidays off. And any other day deemed appropriate by its one employee. Birthday parties, smoke breaks, trips out of town and errand-running all fall into the "holiday" category.

2. Cell phone service is less reliable and more intermittent than the postal service.

1. Electricity is a luxury that can and will be shut off with little or no notice, at the discretion of anyone working with live wires, on extremely cold and windy days. Always be prepared by having the following items on hand: flashlight; battery-operated camping stove; canned food; a can opener; and a working VHF.

Needless to say, it's been one of those weeks. It was teacher evaluation week, which was smooth and encouraging, followed by a number of reality checks that bounced, one right after another. My workdays have been extended three, going on four, nights out of five, and the weekends seem to disappear as quickly as the daylight has these recent days. Daylight-savings time, while nice that first Sunday morning, has left me restless by 6am and sleepy about twelve hours later. Students are traveling and a recent death in the village has cast a gloomy shadow over our students and community members. While it'll be nice to have a half day tomorrow morning (Friday) I feel like time to make progress is dwindling as we approach holiday season. And knowing that anything I give is better than what they've gotten in the past, I'm struggling with the concept that anything is good enough. I don't have a complacent bone in my body, and it seems the more I talk with people who've been here for a while, the more I get this notion that I'm going to have to lower my expectations for myself and everyone around me in order to feel a sense of accomplishment or like we've even settled in.

There's a very thin line between challenging a student to reach his potential and stepping on the toes of a dwindling culture, already feeling the pressures from modern-day society crowding in on it. Walking that line on a daily basis has become exhausting; which makes it easy to feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. A little positive reinforcement or constructive criticism goes a very long way with me, and it was just what I needed from my principal to ignite the fire that's driven me in my position. But with Friday less than three hours away, I'm beginning to feel that fire fizzle and I find myself in need of some encouraging words to help refocus my frame of mind. I'm hoping once I've vented it all out, I'll have a clear mind to process any feedback.

Meanwhile, I'm celebrating every small success I can get my hands on. Today, one of my students who started the year reading 65 words per minute, read 155 words per minute, fluently. He felt silly talking like "Ms. Good," but he had fun developing a rhythm with his words, voice intonation and fluctuation. He really provided me with a series of happy moments in the day to remind me of why I do what I do. I think today will be the start of a journal, highlighting one good thing to end the day on, as it's easy to focus on the negatives when we have ample time to think.

Still loving any notes, emails, phone calls, pictures, etc. sent this way. As the holiday season approaches, familiar faces from outside the village are a good reminder of how lucky we are to have loved ones to miss so much.

Love you all,

Brie