Saw "Night at the Museum" yesterday in theater, then we rented "The Black Dahlia". Ahh, break, a time for relaxing and movie intake!

Night at the Museum (I've given up on putting the names in quotes) was actually pretty funny - predictable, but silly and nice for family time. There's a museum caretaker British guy that is hilarious, but he only has like 5 lines. I was the only one in the 7 year old/parent audience who died laughing cacklingly outloud at the dude. HA!

The Black Dahlia is Scarlett Johansen (small part) and Josh Hartnett in old time Hollywood and a famous murder story. Although the movie was fictional, and let me add had overly twisted storylines, it was neat to see old Hollywood and the sorts. Sort of reminded me of The Aviator but with more dark murder stuff. Has anyone seen Hollywoodland? I saw a preview of it on the Dahlia dvd and wondered if it was any good - can any Affleck movie be worthwhile?

Yesterday on the radio I heard a sci-fi broadcast interview with Ray Bradbury. Although I'm sick of teaching his short stories to teenagers who don't want to hear it, he had some great motivational advice to the new breed of writer's out there. You know like I'm setting my sights on!

Well, I'm in the middle of a huge straighten up the house ordeal, getting ready for Justin! WOOO! Casey is across the Mat-Su Valley playing in a men's bball league. You know we, the Mat-Su Valley, are only 15 miles directly north of Anchorage, Alaska? But yet, the highway system must follow the curves and placements of the mountains and water ways double equalling = an hour or more drive! Fun fact!

Tomorrow I have bball practice to sort of remind me again that I have a job or something. Hope you're all doing swell as the new year approaches!

"It always protects, it always trusts, it always hopes and perseveres, yeah that's love."

2006: Mary’s Year in Review

After hosting Bruce and Joan for 2005 Christmas, we brought in the New Year with hopes of moving into our Willow Fishhook home. With much, much delay, misunderstanding, and flat out patience building we were finally in about the first of FEBRUARY! It was a grand excitement to be out of a temporal boxed up existence we refer to as “Andy Anderson’s” (our landlord’s name).

After the move in, school flew by with some basketball coaching and we found out what an Alaska “break-up” was. All late winter/spring our mini-gravel driveway was flooded continuously with the ground thawing and the world turning miraculously from white to green, green, green. Alaska is truly a beautiful landscape!



For spring break, we headed to Ohio on a St. Patrick’s Day weekend for Tommy and Karen’s wedding. Some highlights were BW3’s and 1040. This was the last time I was to see, stay, and be in 1040.

Everything here and there from that point on this 2006 year was and is completely overshadowed by the trip of a lifetime. Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, and England became the life for almost five straight weeks. Life was grand on the mother road of planes, trains, Matt chauffeuring, and gondolas!



And even now, as my blog slowly recaps the trip, I feel my mind will never stop reliving every bit of it. Not only was it astonishingly beautiful, eventful, and life changing; we invited God into every bit of it. He didn’t need an invitation, He took over in all aspects! Profound! Awe-inspiring! Moving and breathtaking!



The fall of 2006 was quickly in our lap as school started in very early August. Prior to that upheaval, Casey’s parents were here for two weeks of just the right amount of relaxing along with some touring. It was a wonderful visit. Besides normal school in our second year of teaching here, Bruce and Joan showed up for a quick togetherness over their anniversary. It was a nice long weekend in our new house with some chatting, watching movies, and sharing the same air.

Now 2006 has come to a close. It was a fast and eventful year; one that will be hard to top. A year for travel, new houses, new friends, and more of God’s work in Alaska!

Great down time!

We rearranged our living room to face the fire place, window to the outdoors, and of course the tv of many dvds this weekend.

Great to see the blogs of pics and info online this afternoon :) The last animal was put on the tree! WOO!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Random throws of words:

Almost Christmas break! WOO!

Today I got a cool Matt and Tracey Christmas greeting :) Excellent! Then I just missed a delivery from 1156 folks, sadly - but Monday shall be a victorious retrieval of such fun.

We're in a heat wave of 42 degrees ABOVE ZERO! Can you believe it? We got about 2 inches of snow today. In acclimation, we seriously want to wear shorts, but yet the roads are sloppy and slushy like Ohio....undesireable.

Love is a movement - old Switchfoot lyrics fit my days of late. In dealing with teens and today's society in a public school setting day in a day out it is unavoidable. Thank the Lord for the Lord. It is the time of one set of footprints for me and He, and they are not my footprints.

At times comical, at times low, low, and other most times pure, pure joy in seeing His movement. Thank God the world is in His hands and not mine, not ours.

Hope all is well and dandy and fruitful for the readers out there. Happy year round season of celebration to your hearts and heads. Enjoy what's left of the weekend.....hopefully all in good cheer. (p.s. check other new blog if you can still get to it)

Mmm Hornsby......deee-lish!

Howdy yous, and long time no yous-time.

Bball has taken over my world, my mind, my soul (for real), my well being but mostly for the well beingness. But don't get me wrong it is not enjoyable, but the conflict is rooted in my bball passion. Too much to explain there, and never on line anymore for reasons unknown (ha, killers).

Reasons known. Email me and I'll tell you, otherwise life is good, gut with two dots above the u (the German Language-said in deep Phil Hartman caveman type of voice), and life is goodie.

Christmas and my new mix of seasonal songs are wonderous, but not as wonderous as my new "my brothers" mix. Picked the best of my favs from yours J and Mike and have accepted them as a grounding staple in such a week of super late practices and weeks. Things are "heating up" like in Africa's poop time championship bball video gaming. Or maybe some other game I can' t pinpoint a name for....

God is up to something, as usual, and it is good. Days are short with lightings (only about 8 hours of sun) and full of snow. We got a foot and a half of snow last night. It's super airy and light and not gross like lake effect types of Ohio. It's not miserable, but it is always with us...till May. Hmm...

Anyways, I literally and seriously and for real have not touched my computer since last weekend.

Welp, other than these thoughts, I forgot my vitamins the last two days and have been feeling groggy. Not sick, but sloppy minded. Prob psychological, hee, hee.

Off to crash! More late night online perusing later this weekend. Christmas list comments and ideas as well. Hope all is well with the people I know. PEACE!