Greetings friends! Again, I'm sorry that the blogs are starting to get more delayed, but I am trying to get them written and posted as fast as I can. Anyway, last week was another great week and certainly full of activity. On Tuesday, Tiffany finally made it back to Klemtu after she chartered a boat from Bella Bella with some of the other Klemtu people that were stuck there. I was so happy she made it home safe and sound. We watched "Contact" that night at the youth center as she had just purchased it while she was away. She also brought me back a really nice necklace and my very own Canadian shirt complete with the Canadian maple leaf. I am almost officially Canadian now, eh?
Wednesday morning I did not make it up to the school because I wanted to bake a cake for a big dinner that was going on up at the Hall that evening. After finishing the cake and getting some other things done, I went over to a friend's house to help her set up for her daughter's 6th birthday party. The basement was decked out in Hannah Montana paraphernalia and I helped her get all of the yummy treats ready for the kids to come over. They all arrived shortly after school let out and I helped chaperone while they watched "Bolt" and played games. I even got to lead them in my own rendition of the Hokey Pokey. After the party, I rushed home to grab the cake and bring it up the Hall for the dinner. One of the women had just graduated with her Education Coordinator diploma and there was a big dinner to celebrate. After dinner, there were speeches and some traditional Indian dancing. Tiff and I then went to the youth center and played some games with the kids until it was time to close.
Thursday was a day off and we made plans to have a big pitch in at Tiff and Brent's that evening. I convinced one of Tiff's friends to make lasagna, Tiff and Brent were going to make corn on the cob, and I was to make an angel food cake. Shortly before dinner, we learned that our lasagna provider was no longer going to make it, so we had to make a quick change and decided to have nachos as our main course. It ended up being a great meal, as odd as it may sound. The corn on the cob was really good, and I told Tiff that I am a pretty harsh critic when it comes to corn on the cob since it is so good back home, but it definitely got my stamp of approval. After our meal, I had to hurry up to the Field because it was soccer night. Although I was unable to get the goals and it took us awhile to get going, it ended up being our most competitive match as a bunch of the workers from the hydro ended up coming to play. We only played for an hour or so, but it was a lot of fun and good to play at a high level. After our game, I went to the Hall to help with some of the set up for the school graduation celebration that was going on the next evening. I didn't stay too long as I was feeling pretty tired from the days events, and I was home and asleep in no time.
Friday was another busy day that started with me volunteering at the school. After lunch, I opened up the youth center but closed early so I could go home and get ready for the graduation ceremony and dinner. As I mentioned in the last post, the kindergarten graduates and high school graduates are both honored at the end of the year and Tiff's youngest was one of the ones graduating from kindergarten. I got to sit at their special table reserved for family and friends of the graduate and enjoyed watching Tiff's daughter receive her diploma in her pink cap and gown. After the graduates were honored and given their diplomas, we had a dinner that was prepared by one of the teachers and his students and watched slideshows of the graduates. After dinner, there were speeches and awards given out to deserving students in each grade. It was a wonderful evening and I took a lot of pictures that I unfortunately will not be able to post until I get home. The celebration went pretty late and since we were only able to open up the youth center for a couple hours, we decided to watch a movie instead of playing Rock Band.
Instead of making pancakes Saturday morning, I decided to try my luck at french toast. I called my dad to get his recipe and ended up making some pretty tasty french toast for Tiff and her family. After breakfast, we headed to the youth center and played our usual round of Saturday afternoon Rock Band. I then went over to Tiff's for Chinese food and we watched a movie until it was time to open up the youth center again for the evening round of Rock Band. I continued to work on my skills on the drums and am now pretty solid on medium difficulty. I'm sure you are all quite impressed by this.
Sunday (Father's Day) morning, Tara and I decided to go on another trek to the hydro, but this time we were determined to make the challenging hike up to the lake that contains the water they are using to generate the electricity. Tara fearlessly paved the way through trees and bushes and we made it pretty far until we ran into a road block. We had been following the pipeline, but were forced to turn around when we realized the pipe was no longer close to the ground and we would have to crawl across it not knowing where we were headed. Disappointed, we made what turned out to be the more challenging descent down the mountain. We decided that we would have to try again, but this time with someone who had already done the hike. After we got back, I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father's Day and then went to Tiff's for crepes, bacon, and eggs that she had made for Brent's Father's Day breakfast. We then had our last round of Rock Band at the youth center before going back to Tiff's for a Father's Day dinner with Brent's mom, dad, brother, and his family. We had turkey, stuffing, rice, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and cranberry sauce. Anybody hungry yet? For dessert, Brent's mom made her famous pineapple upside down cake and Tiff made a delicious apple tart. We even had ice cream, which made me very happy as it was only my second time having it since I've been here. I then went to church for what would be Tara's last service in Klemtu, as she leaves the following Sunday to go back home. She got the chance to share how much she has enjoyed her time in Klemtu and how thankful she is for her church community, and I know we will all be sad to see her go. After church, I went to the youth center to watch a movie with the kids before calling it a night.
Monday morning I woke up and went down to watch the school parade in celebration of National Aboriginal Day (which was actually on Sunday), a day of recognition of the cultures and contributions of the First Nations people of Canada. I then went to visit with Nanny Violet and she invited me to stay for lunch. I felt guilty sitting down while a 95 year old woman prepared tea and lunch, but she wouldn't have it any other way. After wonderful conversation, I headed back home, went for a run, and prepared spaghetti for the Monday night pitch in at Tiff's house. After dinner, we went to Melody's for a bonfire and marshmallow/hot dog roast. I was so excited to have s'mores as this is one of the Brown family's favorite things to make. It was the perfect night for a bonfire and we sat around talking until late into the night.
It is now Tuesday and as of tomorrow, I only have two weeks left here in Klemtu. I know I've said this before, but I really can't believe how fast the time has gone and I am not ready to say goodbye to my friends here. Hopefully time will start to slow down a little bit and I pray that I will make the most of the short time I have left. I still love and miss you all back home, though, and am looking forward to seeing you again very soon!
And Happy Birthday to my best friend, Betsy! Love you friend and hope you have a wonderful day!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Week 6
June 16
Hello everyone from rainy Klemtu! This rain has actually come as a surprise as we had two plus weeks of nothing but sunshine. I was beginning to wonder when the rain was going to return to make everything green again, and so here we are on our second day of rain. Unfortunately, with the rain has come fog, and there are 14 people who have been stranded in Bella Bella since Monday and unable to fly into Klemtu until it clears. Tiff happens to be one of those people, as she went to visit her sister on Vancouver Island for her big high school graduation. I talked to her a little bit ago, and she said they are going to try to charter a boat to come in this evening. I sure hope so because I can't take another day without her!
Anyway, onto the week 6 recap. Monday was a day off and "Jon and Kate Plus 8" night at Tiff and Brent's. We had a pitch-in with a taco bar and baked beans. I tried to recreate Grandma Dot's famous baked beans, but they didn't quite have the same zip as they do when my mom makes them. After dinner, we headed up to the school to work on some things for Jamie's graduation, which is coming up this Friday. There is a big celebration at the end of the year for both the high school grads and the kindergarten grads, and Tiff's youngest is graduating from kindergarten. I'm really excited for this big event and will be sure to give a detailed update after the weekend. We were at the school pretty late, so I headed home afterward and went right to bed.
I helped out in the primary class Tuesday morning and then went to Tiff and Brent's for lunch where we had the yummy leftovers from taco night. We then headed to the youth center in the afternoon to clean and get ready for the kids to come. After closing up, Tiff had me over for spaghetti and garlic bread at their house, which was outstanding. I made some of my best batch of chocolate chip cookies yet and brought them over for a tasty after-dinner treat. We then went back to the youth center and watched a movie with the kids before heading home for the night.
Wednesday morning I was back at the school, but then headed right over to Tiff's to say goodbye to her before her plane left for Vancouver. I told her to have a wonderful time with her family, but that she was not allowed to leave me again during my final weeks left in Klemtu. I then headed to the youth center and did my best to hold down the fort in her absence. The kids certainly missed her as much as I did, as they were constantly asking "Where's Tiff?" and "When is she coming back?" Hopefully they asked these questions because they really wanted her back, and not because I am a lousy replacement.=) I'm sure it was because of the first conclusion.
Thursday brought another day off and I was happy for the opportunity to get some things done I had been wanting to accomplish. It was another beautiful day and I was able to go on a long run on my usual running path. I am getting so spoiled by the cool weather with no humidity, and fear I will be in for a rude awakening when I get back to sticky Indiana in July. I also had Tara over for dinner that evening and I cooked a Mexican-themed meal. I told Tara that I was trying to get into drinking tea, so we talked over some Earl Grey after the meal, and I actually found it to be quite enjoyable. She cringed when I was about to use hot water from the sink and said every tea-drinking person would roll over in their grave if they saw me, and so we boiled some water over the stove. I told her that I am turning into my best friend Betsy, who constantly drinks tea. I used to make fun of her for it, but I may just have to join her for a cup when I get home. I then headed up the field for soccer night, and was happy to see a much better turnout thanks to the cooler weather. We even had one of the hydro workers join us. After we could no longer stand the flies (which are horrible here) we called it a night and I was in bed at a reasonable hour.
Friday morning I was back at the school, and then headed to the youth center like normal to open up for the afternoon. Friday evening I had "family night" up at the field and the recreation director opened up the youth center for the guys to play "Halo." I headed back down to the youth center around 9:30 and started right in on Rock Band 2. It was quite a busy night and I did my best to make sure everyone got plenty of opportunities to play their favorite instrument. Very tired from the long day, I headed home a little after midnight and went right to sleep.
I made myself an omelet Saturday morning and then headed out for a nice run down my running path. I then rushed home to shower and get ready to open up the youth center for an afternoon of Rock Band. The kids were starting to tire from Rock Band 2 so I put in the original Rock Band Saturday evening. They then said they were tired of that Rock Band, so I promised to put the new one back on the next day.
I noticed that the forecast was calling for rain the next week so I made sure to get a run in Sunday morning while it was still dry. Sunday was also freight day, but it was a little different this time since the ferry would not be coming in until the afternoon. The summer ferry that stops in Klemtu is called the "Queen of Chilliwack" and it is a big deal when it comes in because you can go on board and buy things from the gift shop or eat in the cafeteria. After finishing up Rock Band in the afternoon, I headed down to the Band store to get some fresh produce. I was elated to find the blueberries in a tub twice as big as the usual one and for less money! I also stocked up on milk and eggs and headed back home to get ready for the Sunday night church service. The speaker for the evening continued on in Genesis and we sang some songs from the hymnals. I also got the chance to meet the man who owns the construction company working on the hydro project. After church, I went to the youth center and put on a movie for the older kids allowed out after curfew.
Yesterday (Monday) was the start of my seventh week here and another day off. It was a wonderful day right up until I learned that Tiff was not going to make it in as planned because the weather would not allow the plane to leave Bella Bella. Instead of cancelling our plans for dinner and Jon and Kate night, I made my meatloaf and scalloped potatoes and brought them over to enjoy with the rest of the Monday night crew. After dinner, we had some of Brent's delicious cake he made with the fresh rhubarb he picked next to his house. The only other bad thing about Monday was I learned that my computer that I could not get to restart was most likely not going to work again until I got home and had someone take a look at it. With that said, I will no longer be able to use my computer and will do my best to update the blog regularly, but no guarantees! Alright, got to go eat some dinner, but I hope all is well and I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Happy Father's day to all the fathers and especially Big Al Brown on Sunday!
Hello everyone from rainy Klemtu! This rain has actually come as a surprise as we had two plus weeks of nothing but sunshine. I was beginning to wonder when the rain was going to return to make everything green again, and so here we are on our second day of rain. Unfortunately, with the rain has come fog, and there are 14 people who have been stranded in Bella Bella since Monday and unable to fly into Klemtu until it clears. Tiff happens to be one of those people, as she went to visit her sister on Vancouver Island for her big high school graduation. I talked to her a little bit ago, and she said they are going to try to charter a boat to come in this evening. I sure hope so because I can't take another day without her!
Anyway, onto the week 6 recap. Monday was a day off and "Jon and Kate Plus 8" night at Tiff and Brent's. We had a pitch-in with a taco bar and baked beans. I tried to recreate Grandma Dot's famous baked beans, but they didn't quite have the same zip as they do when my mom makes them. After dinner, we headed up to the school to work on some things for Jamie's graduation, which is coming up this Friday. There is a big celebration at the end of the year for both the high school grads and the kindergarten grads, and Tiff's youngest is graduating from kindergarten. I'm really excited for this big event and will be sure to give a detailed update after the weekend. We were at the school pretty late, so I headed home afterward and went right to bed.
I helped out in the primary class Tuesday morning and then went to Tiff and Brent's for lunch where we had the yummy leftovers from taco night. We then headed to the youth center in the afternoon to clean and get ready for the kids to come. After closing up, Tiff had me over for spaghetti and garlic bread at their house, which was outstanding. I made some of my best batch of chocolate chip cookies yet and brought them over for a tasty after-dinner treat. We then went back to the youth center and watched a movie with the kids before heading home for the night.
Wednesday morning I was back at the school, but then headed right over to Tiff's to say goodbye to her before her plane left for Vancouver. I told her to have a wonderful time with her family, but that she was not allowed to leave me again during my final weeks left in Klemtu. I then headed to the youth center and did my best to hold down the fort in her absence. The kids certainly missed her as much as I did, as they were constantly asking "Where's Tiff?" and "When is she coming back?" Hopefully they asked these questions because they really wanted her back, and not because I am a lousy replacement.=) I'm sure it was because of the first conclusion.
Thursday brought another day off and I was happy for the opportunity to get some things done I had been wanting to accomplish. It was another beautiful day and I was able to go on a long run on my usual running path. I am getting so spoiled by the cool weather with no humidity, and fear I will be in for a rude awakening when I get back to sticky Indiana in July. I also had Tara over for dinner that evening and I cooked a Mexican-themed meal. I told Tara that I was trying to get into drinking tea, so we talked over some Earl Grey after the meal, and I actually found it to be quite enjoyable. She cringed when I was about to use hot water from the sink and said every tea-drinking person would roll over in their grave if they saw me, and so we boiled some water over the stove. I told her that I am turning into my best friend Betsy, who constantly drinks tea. I used to make fun of her for it, but I may just have to join her for a cup when I get home. I then headed up the field for soccer night, and was happy to see a much better turnout thanks to the cooler weather. We even had one of the hydro workers join us. After we could no longer stand the flies (which are horrible here) we called it a night and I was in bed at a reasonable hour.
Friday morning I was back at the school, and then headed to the youth center like normal to open up for the afternoon. Friday evening I had "family night" up at the field and the recreation director opened up the youth center for the guys to play "Halo." I headed back down to the youth center around 9:30 and started right in on Rock Band 2. It was quite a busy night and I did my best to make sure everyone got plenty of opportunities to play their favorite instrument. Very tired from the long day, I headed home a little after midnight and went right to sleep.
I made myself an omelet Saturday morning and then headed out for a nice run down my running path. I then rushed home to shower and get ready to open up the youth center for an afternoon of Rock Band. The kids were starting to tire from Rock Band 2 so I put in the original Rock Band Saturday evening. They then said they were tired of that Rock Band, so I promised to put the new one back on the next day.
I noticed that the forecast was calling for rain the next week so I made sure to get a run in Sunday morning while it was still dry. Sunday was also freight day, but it was a little different this time since the ferry would not be coming in until the afternoon. The summer ferry that stops in Klemtu is called the "Queen of Chilliwack" and it is a big deal when it comes in because you can go on board and buy things from the gift shop or eat in the cafeteria. After finishing up Rock Band in the afternoon, I headed down to the Band store to get some fresh produce. I was elated to find the blueberries in a tub twice as big as the usual one and for less money! I also stocked up on milk and eggs and headed back home to get ready for the Sunday night church service. The speaker for the evening continued on in Genesis and we sang some songs from the hymnals. I also got the chance to meet the man who owns the construction company working on the hydro project. After church, I went to the youth center and put on a movie for the older kids allowed out after curfew.
Yesterday (Monday) was the start of my seventh week here and another day off. It was a wonderful day right up until I learned that Tiff was not going to make it in as planned because the weather would not allow the plane to leave Bella Bella. Instead of cancelling our plans for dinner and Jon and Kate night, I made my meatloaf and scalloped potatoes and brought them over to enjoy with the rest of the Monday night crew. After dinner, we had some of Brent's delicious cake he made with the fresh rhubarb he picked next to his house. The only other bad thing about Monday was I learned that my computer that I could not get to restart was most likely not going to work again until I got home and had someone take a look at it. With that said, I will no longer be able to use my computer and will do my best to update the blog regularly, but no guarantees! Alright, got to go eat some dinner, but I hope all is well and I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Happy Father's day to all the fathers and especially Big Al Brown on Sunday!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Technical Difficulties!
Hello friends,
Just wanted to let you all know that I am having some computer issues and may not be able to get my laptop up and running again until I get home. I will definitely keep posting updates, but it will just take me longer to get them up because I can't just do it from home anymore. But I am still doing well and I will put up a week 6 update as soon as I can! Love you all and talk to you soon!
Ali
Just wanted to let you all know that I am having some computer issues and may not be able to get my laptop up and running again until I get home. I will definitely keep posting updates, but it will just take me longer to get them up because I can't just do it from home anymore. But I am still doing well and I will put up a week 6 update as soon as I can! Love you all and talk to you soon!
Ali
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Week 5 Pictures
Cruise ship making a stop in Klemtu
Klemtu vs. Bella Bella softball game
Whoops
Construction at the hydro
Monday, June 8, 2009
Week 5 Update
Even though it is overcast today, we had the most incredible week of weather in Klemtu. Seven days in a row of sunshine and it got up into the 80’s for a few of those days. It reminded me of summertime in Indiana. It made conversation pretty predictable, as nearly everyone I passed mentioned how hot it was. It also made the kids pretty happy, as they got to swim in the pond for the first time this year.
Monday night was our welcome home dinner for Tiff, Brent, and the kids, and I brought meatloaf, corn, and mashed potatoes over to celebrate. Mel brought chicken legs and stuffing, so we had a grand feast. After dinner, we had a “Jon and Kate Plus 8” marathon and listened to stories about their trip to Vancouver. We then watched one of the movies they purchased on their trip and had Brent’s famous popcorn. I was so happy to be back at their house and told them they are not aloud to leave for that long again.
Tuesday morning I was back at the school to volunteer. I hadn’t been there the past week because of my solo duties at the youth center, and was really happy to be back with the kids. The principal decided that the most help was needed in the primary class, so I was also happy to be back with Tara’s K-2 group. Tara invited me over to her house for dinner that evening on one of Brian and Mary’s last nights in Klemtu. After working at the youth center, I headed over to Tara’s and we had a wonderful meal. For dessert, Tiffany’s mom (who lives next door to Tara) brought over homemade pastries that she had just made that afternoon. It was quite a treat! I then headed to the youth center for the rest of the evening. Afterwards, I went to Tiff and Brent’s to try out “Rock Band 2” that they had just purchased in Vancouver. Although I could’ve stayed all night playing the new songs, I was really tired from the long day and headed home to get some rest.
Wednesday was “100 day” for the K-2 class, which meant it was their 100th day in school for 2009. The whole morning was dedicated to fun “100 day” activities, highlighted by show and tell with the 100 items they had brought in from home. After school, Tiff and I worked our normal hours at the youth center and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner. We had a delicious meal of salmon, rice, and fried seaweed. We then played a few more songs on Rock Band 2 before opening up the youth center for the evening. I left at 7:30, though, to go to a Bible Study at one of the elder’s houses led by Brian and Mary. It was their last night in Klemtu before heading up the coast to Hartley Bay. We had a wonderful evening of singing, praying, and hearing a message from Brian. I was really sad to see them leave, but told them we would keep in touch and hopefully see each other again in the near future. Please pray for their safety as they continue their travels up the coast!
Thursday was another wonderful day outside, with the temperature reaching the 80’s, and also another day off for me. Tiff made her famous chow mein for dinner, which was quite yummy. I made some lemon bars for dessert and had to restrain from eating too much as it was another soccer night at the Field. I headed up to the Field and set up the goals, but half an hour later I was still the only one out there. A few of the kids came up and I asked where everyone was, and they said it was way too hot for soccer. I couldn’t blame them, as swimming at the pond did sound more appealing than playing soccer, but I was bummed not to be able to play. I brought the goals back down and hung out with some of the kids for a little bit, then I headed home and called it an early night so I could rest up for a long day on Friday.
I spent Friday morning at the school and got to listen to a presentation on Abalone given by the scuba divers who mark, measure, and count them. Abalone are sea snails that have become quite a delicacy, especially now that they are an endangered species. I really enjoyed the presentation, and was especially impressed that five, six, and seven year olds were able to focus and sit still for an hour. They did an excellent job. After lunch I headed to the youth center, and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner before Friday family fun night. Since it was such a nice evening outside and cooler than the previous night, we decided to go up to the Field to fly kites and play some soccer. We headed back down to the youth center around 9:00 and found a line of kids waiting at the door for the opening night of Rock Band 2. It was pretty funny to see all of them so eagerly waiting. I was also pretty excited to have a new selection of songs for the kids to choose from. We closed up at midnight and I went home to get some sleep before another busy day on Saturday.
I woke up somewhat early Saturday morning to put a cake in the oven. A group from Bella Bella, which is a community not too far from Klemtu, were coming in that day for a softball game, and I was in charge of getting a team together. I also volunteered to make a cake for the luncheon we were hosting for them when they arrived. After finishing the cake, Tiff and her family came over for pancakes. We then headed to the youth center and I dropped off the cake for the luncheon. The Bella Bella boat arrived around 2:30, and I headed over to meet them and have a little of the lunch we had prepared before everyone headed up to the Field for the game. There was plenty of sunshine, but the wind up at the Field made it feel a lot colder than it was. Unfortunately for our Klemtu team, the Bella Bella team had apparently had a lot more experience playing softball. Let’s just say most of their innings at bat ended with the “seven run rule”-a rule that I was thankful was put in place. I’m not sure what the final score was, but I believe we managed to score a few runs and we had fun laughing at ourselves, which is what really matters. Tiff and I then rushed home to eat before opening up for another late night of Rock Band. Exhausted, I went home and fell asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was the first overcast day in a week, which worked out perfectly because Tara and I had planned on walking out to the hydro that morning. If you remember seeing the pictures I posted of my running path then you know that is the path that leads to the hydro, which is a project that will eventually generate more power for the community of Klemtu. Tara and I packed a bag for lunch and began our hike. It took us a little under an hour to get there, which was shorter than I thought it would be. It was really cool to see all of the work they had been doing out there, and I took a few pictures that I will put up soon. On our way back, we stopped at the highest point on the trail to eat our lunch, and a few minutes into eating Tara spotted a whale! It kept popping up out of the water to breathe and we sat and watched in awe. Tara told me that she was just praying the other day that she would see a whale before she left because she had never seen one before. We thanked God for answering her prayer so quickly, and I was so happy to be a part of the experience. We then made the hike back and I headed to the youth center for the last round of Rock Band. After eating dinner and getting a few things done at home, I went to the church for Sunday night service. We sang some hymns and enjoyed a message about the beauty of God’s creation, which was so fitting as we had just seen the whale on our hike. I then headed to the youth center for a movie and went straight home to get some rest.
Today is Monday and another day off, and I am just getting ready to put some baked beans in the oven to bring over to Tiff’s for a pitch in. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon! Thanks again for all of the wonderful support!
Monday night was our welcome home dinner for Tiff, Brent, and the kids, and I brought meatloaf, corn, and mashed potatoes over to celebrate. Mel brought chicken legs and stuffing, so we had a grand feast. After dinner, we had a “Jon and Kate Plus 8” marathon and listened to stories about their trip to Vancouver. We then watched one of the movies they purchased on their trip and had Brent’s famous popcorn. I was so happy to be back at their house and told them they are not aloud to leave for that long again.
Tuesday morning I was back at the school to volunteer. I hadn’t been there the past week because of my solo duties at the youth center, and was really happy to be back with the kids. The principal decided that the most help was needed in the primary class, so I was also happy to be back with Tara’s K-2 group. Tara invited me over to her house for dinner that evening on one of Brian and Mary’s last nights in Klemtu. After working at the youth center, I headed over to Tara’s and we had a wonderful meal. For dessert, Tiffany’s mom (who lives next door to Tara) brought over homemade pastries that she had just made that afternoon. It was quite a treat! I then headed to the youth center for the rest of the evening. Afterwards, I went to Tiff and Brent’s to try out “Rock Band 2” that they had just purchased in Vancouver. Although I could’ve stayed all night playing the new songs, I was really tired from the long day and headed home to get some rest.
Wednesday was “100 day” for the K-2 class, which meant it was their 100th day in school for 2009. The whole morning was dedicated to fun “100 day” activities, highlighted by show and tell with the 100 items they had brought in from home. After school, Tiff and I worked our normal hours at the youth center and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner. We had a delicious meal of salmon, rice, and fried seaweed. We then played a few more songs on Rock Band 2 before opening up the youth center for the evening. I left at 7:30, though, to go to a Bible Study at one of the elder’s houses led by Brian and Mary. It was their last night in Klemtu before heading up the coast to Hartley Bay. We had a wonderful evening of singing, praying, and hearing a message from Brian. I was really sad to see them leave, but told them we would keep in touch and hopefully see each other again in the near future. Please pray for their safety as they continue their travels up the coast!
Thursday was another wonderful day outside, with the temperature reaching the 80’s, and also another day off for me. Tiff made her famous chow mein for dinner, which was quite yummy. I made some lemon bars for dessert and had to restrain from eating too much as it was another soccer night at the Field. I headed up to the Field and set up the goals, but half an hour later I was still the only one out there. A few of the kids came up and I asked where everyone was, and they said it was way too hot for soccer. I couldn’t blame them, as swimming at the pond did sound more appealing than playing soccer, but I was bummed not to be able to play. I brought the goals back down and hung out with some of the kids for a little bit, then I headed home and called it an early night so I could rest up for a long day on Friday.
I spent Friday morning at the school and got to listen to a presentation on Abalone given by the scuba divers who mark, measure, and count them. Abalone are sea snails that have become quite a delicacy, especially now that they are an endangered species. I really enjoyed the presentation, and was especially impressed that five, six, and seven year olds were able to focus and sit still for an hour. They did an excellent job. After lunch I headed to the youth center, and then I went over to Tiff and Brent’s for dinner before Friday family fun night. Since it was such a nice evening outside and cooler than the previous night, we decided to go up to the Field to fly kites and play some soccer. We headed back down to the youth center around 9:00 and found a line of kids waiting at the door for the opening night of Rock Band 2. It was pretty funny to see all of them so eagerly waiting. I was also pretty excited to have a new selection of songs for the kids to choose from. We closed up at midnight and I went home to get some sleep before another busy day on Saturday.
I woke up somewhat early Saturday morning to put a cake in the oven. A group from Bella Bella, which is a community not too far from Klemtu, were coming in that day for a softball game, and I was in charge of getting a team together. I also volunteered to make a cake for the luncheon we were hosting for them when they arrived. After finishing the cake, Tiff and her family came over for pancakes. We then headed to the youth center and I dropped off the cake for the luncheon. The Bella Bella boat arrived around 2:30, and I headed over to meet them and have a little of the lunch we had prepared before everyone headed up to the Field for the game. There was plenty of sunshine, but the wind up at the Field made it feel a lot colder than it was. Unfortunately for our Klemtu team, the Bella Bella team had apparently had a lot more experience playing softball. Let’s just say most of their innings at bat ended with the “seven run rule”-a rule that I was thankful was put in place. I’m not sure what the final score was, but I believe we managed to score a few runs and we had fun laughing at ourselves, which is what really matters. Tiff and I then rushed home to eat before opening up for another late night of Rock Band. Exhausted, I went home and fell asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was the first overcast day in a week, which worked out perfectly because Tara and I had planned on walking out to the hydro that morning. If you remember seeing the pictures I posted of my running path then you know that is the path that leads to the hydro, which is a project that will eventually generate more power for the community of Klemtu. Tara and I packed a bag for lunch and began our hike. It took us a little under an hour to get there, which was shorter than I thought it would be. It was really cool to see all of the work they had been doing out there, and I took a few pictures that I will put up soon. On our way back, we stopped at the highest point on the trail to eat our lunch, and a few minutes into eating Tara spotted a whale! It kept popping up out of the water to breathe and we sat and watched in awe. Tara told me that she was just praying the other day that she would see a whale before she left because she had never seen one before. We thanked God for answering her prayer so quickly, and I was so happy to be a part of the experience. We then made the hike back and I headed to the youth center for the last round of Rock Band. After eating dinner and getting a few things done at home, I went to the church for Sunday night service. We sang some hymns and enjoyed a message about the beauty of God’s creation, which was so fitting as we had just seen the whale on our hike. I then headed to the youth center for a movie and went straight home to get some rest.
Today is Monday and another day off, and I am just getting ready to put some baked beans in the oven to bring over to Tiff’s for a pitch in. I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon! Thanks again for all of the wonderful support!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Week 4 Update
June 1, 2009
Greetings sports fans on an absolutely gorgeous day in Klemtu! The temperature is in the 70’s, the sun is shining, and a nice, cool breeze is blowing the leaves on the trees outside my window. AND it’s my day off! All in all, today couldn’t be any better (unless you all could be here to share it with me).
Week four has come to a close and it’s on to week five, which crazy enough, marks the halfway point of my time here. As I mentioned in the last blog, last Monday was my first time ever cooking fish. To answer your question you posted on the blog, Amber, I have not been formally trained in halibut cooking, but I was able to use my resources to serve up what turned out to be an almost perfect fish. I started with the internet to find out how long and what temperature to cook a fish like halibut, called my parents to confirm, and used the most essential ingredient, which is Old Bay seasoning mixed with butter, and brushed it on the halibut. I invited Brian and Mary Crumback and Tara over to share in this delightful meal, and they all agreed that it was outstanding. I share this with you not to show off (although I was quite proud of myself) but to encourage everyone who is afraid to cook fish that if I can do it, anyone can. The fact that it was caught the day before right out of the Pacific didn’t hurt either. Tim and Scott, you will also be proud to know that my brown rice turned out just right this time. That extra 25 minutes made all the difference. My company stayed for a couple hours and we had a nice conversation, then they headed home for the evening and I enjoyed the rest of my night off with some Monday night television and some reading.
Tuesday was my first weekday at the youth center without Tiffany, and I had high hopes that it would go as smoothly as the weekend. There were no problems in the afternoon, but the evening was a bit more challenging as I think the kids were starting to realize that Tiff would be gone for awhile and that I was the equivalent to a substitute teacher in school. No major problems, I just learned that I would have to be a little more forceful with them than I had been in the past. As many of you know, I struggle with confrontation and have a hard time getting kids to stop doing something they’re not supposed to be doing. With these traits, you may be wondering why I spent four months as a substitute teacher. But once I got a few of the kids to stop getting out of hand, they all seemed to settle down and I had no problems the rest of the night, and I had absolutely no problems on Wednesday.
Thursday was another day off, and like most days off I decided to cook a meal and invite some friends over. It was time for spaghetti in the meal rotation, and I invited Melody and the Crumbacks over. It had been pouring down rain all day, so I had planned on moving Thursday night soccer into the Hall, but I found out that the Hall was closed so they could set up for a birthday supper being held the next night. With no other place to play, I went ahead and cancelled the game and instead hung out with Melody awhile longer. This was apparently an unpopular choice with the kids, as I had about five of them come to my door and ask why we weren’t playing soccer. I guess they are way more hardcore then I am when it comes to playing soccer in wet, muddy sand. I promised them that we would play the next night for family fun night, and this seemed to appease them for the time being.
Friday I got an invitation to attend my first Klemtu supper. It was one of the little girl’s birthdays and the community had a big dinner to celebrate up at the Hall. There must have been 100 people there and the Hall was decked out in birthday decorations. Like many people in Klemtu, the young girl loves Elvis and so there was plenty of Elvis paraphernalia and even an Elvis cake. It was a pitch-in, so there were about eight long tables full of every kind of yummy food you could imagine. There was also a wide selection of desserts, which I had more than my fair share of. I even got to eat some ice cream, which I have been missing! After the supper, I opened up the school gymnasium for a nice game of indoor soccer. Although it was a little crowded in there, that didn’t stop the kids from having fun and we played for almost three hours. I even introduced them to a game of hand ball, which they enjoyed as well. Instead of watching a movie afterward, the older kids conned me into letting them play Rock Band for the last couple of hours, which ended up being a good thing because there were way more kids there than would have been if we had watched a movie.
I got up Saturday morning to a beautiful, sunny day, and so I went for a run down my favorite running path. I took some pictures while I was out on my run, which I have already posted for you all to see. The views are incredible! I don’t think it will be quite the same running around the trail of Bridgewater (although the trail around Bridgewater is lovely, Steve.) I then opened up the youth center for a couple of rounds of Rock Band. After eight hours of Rock Band, I headed straight home and was asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was freight morning. It was a good thing that I didn’t need much, because by the time I got there around 11:00 most of the goods were gone. As I was leaving the store, I ran into Brian Crumback and he invited me out on his boat for a cruise up the channel, which I gladly accepted! On the boat were Brian and Mary, Tara, nanny Violet, and me. It was another beautiful, sunny day and the water was so calm. We cruised out to the tip of Swindle Island and back. I was also able to see my running trail from the water and see just how far away I have been to the end of the trail. It looked like I had made it a little over halfway, but I would still have a long way to go to get to the end. I took lots of pictures and will post them soon. After a nice cruise, we came back in time for me to open up the youth center for the final round of weekend Rock Band. Later that night, Brian preached a wonderful sermon at the church that seemed to resonate with all of us. I then headed back to the youth center for movie night before ending another busy, but fun weekend.
Tiffany, Brent, and the girls got home today and I couldn’t wait to see them! I headed down to the dock with Tiff’s mom and Brent’s grandma and we waited for them to come in. It took a little longer for them to land than they had anticipated, but we didn’t mind too much because it was such a beautiful day and nice to sit out on the dock. I am so glad they are home as I have missed them so much! They have practically adopted me as a member of their family and it just wasn’t the same without them here. I have a meatloaf in the oven right now and am getting ready to head over to their house for a welcome home dinner. I better get going, but I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and congrats to all of my teacher friends who have finished the school year!
Greetings sports fans on an absolutely gorgeous day in Klemtu! The temperature is in the 70’s, the sun is shining, and a nice, cool breeze is blowing the leaves on the trees outside my window. AND it’s my day off! All in all, today couldn’t be any better (unless you all could be here to share it with me).
Week four has come to a close and it’s on to week five, which crazy enough, marks the halfway point of my time here. As I mentioned in the last blog, last Monday was my first time ever cooking fish. To answer your question you posted on the blog, Amber, I have not been formally trained in halibut cooking, but I was able to use my resources to serve up what turned out to be an almost perfect fish. I started with the internet to find out how long and what temperature to cook a fish like halibut, called my parents to confirm, and used the most essential ingredient, which is Old Bay seasoning mixed with butter, and brushed it on the halibut. I invited Brian and Mary Crumback and Tara over to share in this delightful meal, and they all agreed that it was outstanding. I share this with you not to show off (although I was quite proud of myself) but to encourage everyone who is afraid to cook fish that if I can do it, anyone can. The fact that it was caught the day before right out of the Pacific didn’t hurt either. Tim and Scott, you will also be proud to know that my brown rice turned out just right this time. That extra 25 minutes made all the difference. My company stayed for a couple hours and we had a nice conversation, then they headed home for the evening and I enjoyed the rest of my night off with some Monday night television and some reading.
Tuesday was my first weekday at the youth center without Tiffany, and I had high hopes that it would go as smoothly as the weekend. There were no problems in the afternoon, but the evening was a bit more challenging as I think the kids were starting to realize that Tiff would be gone for awhile and that I was the equivalent to a substitute teacher in school. No major problems, I just learned that I would have to be a little more forceful with them than I had been in the past. As many of you know, I struggle with confrontation and have a hard time getting kids to stop doing something they’re not supposed to be doing. With these traits, you may be wondering why I spent four months as a substitute teacher. But once I got a few of the kids to stop getting out of hand, they all seemed to settle down and I had no problems the rest of the night, and I had absolutely no problems on Wednesday.
Thursday was another day off, and like most days off I decided to cook a meal and invite some friends over. It was time for spaghetti in the meal rotation, and I invited Melody and the Crumbacks over. It had been pouring down rain all day, so I had planned on moving Thursday night soccer into the Hall, but I found out that the Hall was closed so they could set up for a birthday supper being held the next night. With no other place to play, I went ahead and cancelled the game and instead hung out with Melody awhile longer. This was apparently an unpopular choice with the kids, as I had about five of them come to my door and ask why we weren’t playing soccer. I guess they are way more hardcore then I am when it comes to playing soccer in wet, muddy sand. I promised them that we would play the next night for family fun night, and this seemed to appease them for the time being.
Friday I got an invitation to attend my first Klemtu supper. It was one of the little girl’s birthdays and the community had a big dinner to celebrate up at the Hall. There must have been 100 people there and the Hall was decked out in birthday decorations. Like many people in Klemtu, the young girl loves Elvis and so there was plenty of Elvis paraphernalia and even an Elvis cake. It was a pitch-in, so there were about eight long tables full of every kind of yummy food you could imagine. There was also a wide selection of desserts, which I had more than my fair share of. I even got to eat some ice cream, which I have been missing! After the supper, I opened up the school gymnasium for a nice game of indoor soccer. Although it was a little crowded in there, that didn’t stop the kids from having fun and we played for almost three hours. I even introduced them to a game of hand ball, which they enjoyed as well. Instead of watching a movie afterward, the older kids conned me into letting them play Rock Band for the last couple of hours, which ended up being a good thing because there were way more kids there than would have been if we had watched a movie.
I got up Saturday morning to a beautiful, sunny day, and so I went for a run down my favorite running path. I took some pictures while I was out on my run, which I have already posted for you all to see. The views are incredible! I don’t think it will be quite the same running around the trail of Bridgewater (although the trail around Bridgewater is lovely, Steve.) I then opened up the youth center for a couple of rounds of Rock Band. After eight hours of Rock Band, I headed straight home and was asleep in no time.
Sunday morning was freight morning. It was a good thing that I didn’t need much, because by the time I got there around 11:00 most of the goods were gone. As I was leaving the store, I ran into Brian Crumback and he invited me out on his boat for a cruise up the channel, which I gladly accepted! On the boat were Brian and Mary, Tara, nanny Violet, and me. It was another beautiful, sunny day and the water was so calm. We cruised out to the tip of Swindle Island and back. I was also able to see my running trail from the water and see just how far away I have been to the end of the trail. It looked like I had made it a little over halfway, but I would still have a long way to go to get to the end. I took lots of pictures and will post them soon. After a nice cruise, we came back in time for me to open up the youth center for the final round of weekend Rock Band. Later that night, Brian preached a wonderful sermon at the church that seemed to resonate with all of us. I then headed back to the youth center for movie night before ending another busy, but fun weekend.
Tiffany, Brent, and the girls got home today and I couldn’t wait to see them! I headed down to the dock with Tiff’s mom and Brent’s grandma and we waited for them to come in. It took a little longer for them to land than they had anticipated, but we didn’t mind too much because it was such a beautiful day and nice to sit out on the dock. I am so glad they are home as I have missed them so much! They have practically adopted me as a member of their family and it just wasn’t the same without them here. I have a meatloaf in the oven right now and am getting ready to head over to their house for a welcome home dinner. I better get going, but I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and congrats to all of my teacher friends who have finished the school year!
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