| Mon nov 18 Once again we greet you, Latest goings-on: I have started doing "theme days" at the school here, following an idea from another person. First we had Hat Day. This Thursday is Pajama Day. The students and staff participate, or at least are supposed to participate. I got some suggestions off the internet, because mine wouldn't fly with a lot of people, I'm sure, and the best I found among a group of many conservative suggestions was "Fake an Injury Day." Aw-yeah, that one's on the schedule for sure. The mountains around us are starting to get snowy on top. The rain has been falling non-stop for a couple weeks now, but it's not always a heavy rain, although it is a consistently wet rain. Why's that? Each day the snow comes farther and farther down the mountain top. Here could be made an analogy of white coming into native land, slowly to take over. At the lever where the temperature is not cold enough to make snow, waterfalls wash the water down the mountain. It's really beautiful. Cabin fever seems to take us over sometimes, especially when it's very wet out. It is healthy for us to get away from the square mile that we live on, so a boat ride up and/or down the river with someone is always welcome. Kristin went on a ride a while back out past the delta and into the inlet a bit. She saw porpoises (you know, dolphins...), seals, eagles and some really old cliff drawings from an old potlatch (ceremony) held here. She also went on a hike with a guy here up the other side of the river, in the rain. They borrowed a boat to cross the river and ended up walking about 10 miles. Mail days (Fridays) are a very exciting time here for us. We are always getting commented on how much mail we receive. By the way, thank you for the postal mail. Send a thanks to Mastercard and that oil changing place in Minneapolis for the kindling, too. BUT the weather was so bad out in the bay this Friday that mail day was postponed! Did we survive?!? Yeah, it came the next day. Whew, that was close... We have found the greatest radio station ever. Classic Country out of Seattle. You know, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Alabama, etc. I love it! Plus on Sunday nights they play goofy Dr. Demento-type songs. Classic Country is great, although it has one MAJOR drawback: it can get "Elvira" by the Oak Ridge Boys stuck in your head forever. C'mon everyone sing along, "Giddy-up, a-oom papa-oom papa Mao Mao." I'm sorry. That's not a very nice thing to do. What do we do in our spare time? Kristin came home the other night and saw me at the kitchen table. "What are you doing, John?" she asked. "Making a model of a suspension bridge out of these cedar pieces and this rope." It didn't work and ended up in the fire. The Kwak'wala language and culture class started up at the school here for the kids. Now Nicole is learning some Kwak'wala in a formal setting. Her reflection so far has been, "They sure use a lot of x's." She sounds it out and makes a hacking noise like a lifetime smoker might. Along with saying, "Yo" which means hello. The teacher says she's doing very well. We're not surprised. Quote: This installment's quote is really more of an incident, which we'll probably get a lot of harassing emails about. Nicole really wanted to learn how to play chess. So I gave in and said, "Alright, we'll give it a try." I pointed out to her that the box said "Ages 10 and up" and that it's against the law for me to teach her, but I suppose I can cause no one is around. We proceeded cautiously as I continued to mention my uncomfortability with breeching the Milton Bradley code of ethics and that the RCMP would come and get us. She said, "Dad, they're not coming for real....are they? It's not a LAW." "Well, then, why does it say it on the box, 'Ages 10 and up?' You're 7 and we're not supposed to do this..." The next day Kristin chimed in with support, "The RCMP will come if you don't stop playing chess, it's against the law." Nicole eventually got so frustrated she stopped talking to us.---Now wait, before ANY of you write saying this is wrong, just think first if you have ever purposely frustrated a kid...thought so. Fun isn't it? We all do it in love. Innocently, JohnKristin (and Nicole, even though she won't SAY it's from her...) |