tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84594172024-03-13T04:44:07.507-08:00Living In AlaskaSharing the beauty of the mountains, the harsh cold, the mosquitoes, the love of being here, anything Alaskan, with pictures and words.Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.comBlogger595125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-87423964780633309692019-12-25T16:31:00.002-09:002019-12-25T16:33:05.793-09:00She Would CryThis holiday season has been a tearful one. I find myself crying at any moment. Happy times. Sad times. Lonely time. Times when I hear a traditional Christmas song sung perfectly. I wonder if this comes with age.<br />
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Mom would cry. I would be perplexed when she cried when it was a happy time. Momma, it's a happy time, don't cry.<br />
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Now I know. We cry for Christmas past. Memories that come back with emotion. Those that are not with us that were such a big part of our lives. Gone. Relationships that are hurting, seemingly never to be repaired. Families that were torn apart because of some vice. All these can't be fixed by us, but God longs for us to be filled to overflowing with joy and with God all things are possible. We can't be filled with joy apart from His grace for joy comes from Him!<br />
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In my fallen state I cannot be without tears. I know someday we all will stand with Jesus and it all will be right! No more tears, that is a promise. No more tears!! Imagine a life without such heartache. I can't but I do have hope.<br />
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Merry Christmas! Such a shallow word in today's fallen state....".merry". It is hard to have for so many. Blessed Christmas! A much better greeting for it calls on God for all that is wonderful. God blesses us with joy! "Joy unspeakable."<br />
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Here's pictures from our 2019 joyful get together.<br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-66314637689040403172019-12-19T16:33:00.001-09:002019-12-19T16:33:14.595-09:00Trumpeter GranddaughterYesterday we went to watch our granddaughter Reese's concert. It
brought back memories from the times we went to watch our own children
at their school events. I found it to be a happy evening even if it was
crowded with people I don't know. Being with my family was a blessing.<br />
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The
first concert was for a younger bunch than our granddaughter and I
found it to be so funny that the "Christmas" program had nothing to do
with the season but was about being green --- recycling. Ok! Well the
choir looked like they were having fun. I missed the songs from my
children's youth.... hurry santa, jingle bells, all I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth; or the music from my youth Silent Night, T'waz
the night before Christmas, Frosty the Snowman... sigh. I know things
change but do they have to?<br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-63972961027644290342019-12-14T14:10:00.001-09:002019-12-14T14:10:24.192-09:00Christmas 2019Every year Christmas is different. Every year. This year my brother Toby and his son Caleb died, two weeks apart. Caleb died, we joined my brother and his wife as they remembered their youngest son...taken much too soon. Two weeks later my brother dies in an unfortunate steam bath accident. This year my husband Doug's dad John also passed away. We suspected he was soon to leave this earth so we flew out to Florida to see him. Two days later he passed away. We take comfort in knowing he knew Doug and I were there even if he could get up and greet us in his usual hugging way. Things change. Our connections grow smaller if we do not work at being a friend to others. Jesus called us friends. I love Jesus. I love that He was willing to die to make a way to be with Him in heaven forever if we will just believe. How simple is that? His ways never change.<br />
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When we lose those that we love, the season can be hard of our heart. It is on mine. I find myself tearful just at the sound of old Christmas songs. Silent Night. My dad used to have my husband and I sing it in harmony. Sometimes if we didn't start out right he would say, "Wait, wait... start again." I miss my Dad and my Mom. Dad brought stability to the family and I miss that about him. He was a believer in God's plan for salvation so I know I will see him again when God restores all of us and creation to the perfectness He had created the whold world before our enemy Satan tempted Adam in the Garden of Eden. I believer and if you do you will also be saved from the wretched hell that is the destiny of Satan and the angels that followed him out of heaven. We all have a choice. I hope you make the right one.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vera</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathy, Connie</td></tr>
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-6686514402605806402018-10-11T12:31:00.002-08:002018-10-11T12:43:38.177-08:00Fall 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Seems like 2018 was just booming in. We live in the fireworks area so on NY's and July 4th we hear a lot of fireworks. It's not too bad as long as it does not go on for days and days. I suppose if I was Gorilla Fireworks I would say differently!<br />
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We did a lot of work on the property this summer and I love it. Cleared a lot of trees down with the help of a good friend! The trees had grown so much that we could not see the lake. Now, it is there again and I love it. I also have been doing a lot of burning of fallen trees. Every summer we have an ongoing war with carpenter ants, a bad thing if you live in a log home! So pulling fallen trees out and burning them makes me feel like we have made their lives a bit more challenged! Yay!<br />
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The swans are passing through here in the Valley so I thought I would post a few swan pictures. I was not a threat to them as I pulled trees out of the woods and burned them because they soon were standing lakeside preening themselves. Now if he could Mo would have been a threat for he wanted all the treats I was tossing out to the swans for himself!<br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-51087320086113999272018-09-02T23:43:00.002-08:002018-09-02T23:43:39.778-08:00Long Weekend Is Over (already)!We will go home tomorrow. My son Klint's children need to get back to school but we plan to head up here one more time before the moose hunting season closes. Doug will combine his cardio walk with moose hunting at home.<br />
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I can't add photos from our time here in Clear for I don't see an upload option while using my phone. I can't post at all from my browser of choice Duckduckgo! Blogger only works from my phone with Safari. That doesn't endear me to Apple at all! Apple censors. 😡<br />
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We had some great times here this long Labor Day weekend.Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-38960523768292214112018-08-31T09:48:00.001-08:002018-08-31T09:48:40.630-08:00Well then! IF I use safari...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Rain blast from the past! Our older grandchildren from another rainy camping trip! Such sweet faces!</div>
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-19154927564478859362018-08-31T09:37:00.003-08:002018-08-31T09:37:49.900-08:00RainyWe got to Clear in a downpour. It appears that I will not be able to post photos away from a wifi connection. I am happy for the connection that I do have way out here. It was upgraded to accomodate the road crew a few years back! Before that it was nearly impossible to send even texts! We had to get on our four wheelers and find a more receptive area.<br />
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I walked around camp yesterday and saw moose sign and some other sign, possibly porquepine.<br />
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I had a good quiet time this morning. I woke up reciting the Lord's prayer. Our Father which art... who art? So I got up to read my Bible. Those two words are very different. Which or who. So went to Matthew 5. Jesus teachings are so very deep, so very simple at the same time! The prayer in Matthew is "Our Father in heaven"... I was reciting a memorized prayer I believe from the Russian Orthodox prayer book. (I wish I had one of those little prayer books we had from RO sunday school.) My parents Senafont and Vera Shugak hosted the youth in their house when I was little.. Drip<br />
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Drip. Drip. Drip!!<br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-28938728529586045632018-08-30T13:12:00.001-08:002018-08-30T13:12:23.342-08:00Moose Hunt Trip 2019uh-oh!<br />
<img src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/50156d1b-d22c-4f7e-8707-6a757304265b" />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-20267680262794652032018-08-30T12:35:00.000-08:002018-08-30T12:35:49.310-08:00Moose Hunting 2019I'm planning to share stories and photos from our trip to Clear. Our son Klint and his family will join us. Yay! Hoping to find a legal young bull! The best meat for us right now.<br />
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I'm newly diagnosed Diabetes Type II with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease which I've been told goes hand in hand with sugar problems. My husband also has liver problems and because of a massive heart attack in 2013 watches his cholesterol like a hawk! His doctor took him off of statins (yes!) So just for those two reasons any small amount of meat we eat has been doctor advised to be wild game or fish!<br />
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So here moosie, moosie. I mostly love the last of summer outdoors. The migrating birds. The change of the colors. My family being near!<br />
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May God grant safety and success to all 2018 hunters. We also remember and pray for families who live now without family members lost during hunting.<br />
<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-62433733989141223062018-08-29T12:58:00.003-08:002018-08-29T13:05:33.924-08:00Where Am I Now?I can more easily answer that question with where I am not right now.<br />
I am not on Facebook!<br />
I am not on Instagram!<br />
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Why? I was troubles by the stories coming out about the owners of those social media selling my personal information for their own personal monetary gain. They are not the only two doing that either. Another reason is how they are censoring the conservative and religious folks, that's me! So, I Twitter and many conservatives tweeted that they were leaving FB and I decided it was something I wanted to support and do also. I am now sharing on Mewe.com.<br />
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Mewe has been very, very laid back since I joined there in the early spring this year. It is still very quiet. I don't know how mewe will pay for itself for it does not take ads and right now they are pushing for upgrading from the free mewe to paid for upgrades which I have not had a need for yet. I think maybe it will be more gb space for all my photos and sharing.But I know that most internet users do not like to pay for their online activities so I don't know if mewe will last. Mewe also has an App to mobile post. <br />
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Right now, I am thinking I will return to the blogging world.... but it is owned by google which is another like FB. :(<br />
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Since I have been off of facebook and instagram I have had no instant interaction with people I know so I am like set back years in being in the know. At first not seeing the latest pictures, notes, news and all the silly faces there I really missed it all! It was like going through withdrawals from coffee. But now I am in a good place with it all. I can share with my family and friends on texting and also email for bigger stuff. So yes, it seems like I have been set behind years and years! <br />
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Get a Mewe account, add me and check out my mewe:<br />
<a href="http://www.mewe.com/i/connie.vanwingerden">My Mewe Page</a><br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-38300019484452875212016-12-28T14:59:00.000-09:002016-12-28T14:59:20.214-09:00Our Father"Our Father who art in Heaven<br />
hallowed be thy name<br />
Thy kingdom come<br />
Thy will be done<br />
on earth as it is in heaven<br />
give us this day our daily bread<br />
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us<br />
lead us not into temptation<br />
but deliver us from evil."<br />
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Matthew 6:9-13 <br />
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I have been praying The Lord's Prayer throughout the 2016 election cycle and most every day since Trump was elected. So thankful he was elected even after much lies, media news story twisting, These days are certainly not the days of my early marriage when it seemed all was good and I had only to think about preparing a home for my family and feeding them each day what was best for them. (Except for the times I turned my head away - Halloween, Christmas, Easter and their birthdays!!!) But that isn't true because now, if I read back on those dates this world never knew peace. It will never know peace until God sets up His kingdom on earth. That day can't come fast enough with all the horrid news lately. Our enemy Satan knows his time is very short before earth will see the will of God accomplished - Satan thrown down to the bottomless pit! He won't be on earth for 1,000 years! "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Read it all in the Bible.<br />
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My comfort is God's word. His promises are from everlasting to everlasting. This time on earth now is but a vapor. My prayers and tears go out to Christian's and their families everywhere who are being persecuted and killed. God sees. God does not forget. God says "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."<br />
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Keep looking to Jesus.<br />
Occupy yourselves and keep watching and praying for His soon return.<br />
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Picture: My oldest brother, Mom, me and my sister Millie. Way back in the day - they did not have peace then either. <br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-72334015104320664902015-05-26T12:28:00.000-08:002015-05-26T12:36:25.029-08:00Old ThingsI have been thinking about old things. <br />
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My husband took me to Seattle, Washington for my birthday! No, I am not thinking about me being old! :) For this post I am remembering walking through antique stores. I look around me now here at home and through the years items in my home have become antiques! I see some of the same or similar things that I had or still have sitting on antique store shelves. Doug has even older stuff because he keeps things just in case he needs it someday.<br />
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This morning Doug said that he had to go change his socks "because this pair has some holes it them." I told him "Well then, just throw them out!" He says, "But I can still get a few more wears out of them." Today he has a doctors appointment and I guess that merits socks without holes. Isn't he funny? Yes, he is.<br />
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Anyway, back to old things. My twin daughters enjoy old things. They want them in their homes and they want to re..... re....... hmm. Can't remember what they call making "new" things out of things that are old. They'll use old tools for bookends; make garden decorations out of old kitchen utensils; or they like to see them sitting around just so - gathering dust. That's what I say, "It's just a dust collector, it's just something you'll have to dust."<br />
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But one day in someones past those items were new. One day in the past those items were precious to someone. One day in the past those items were treasured, dusted and kept away from others that could misuse or abuse them.<br />
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Now... there they sit.<br />
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I thought to myself: No family to take them and treasure them? No family to make them a family heirloom? Now it is just a thing that has been bought by the highest bidder and put in an antique store so that I can go look at them.<br />
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Kind of a sad thought isn't it? But that thought makes me put "things" in focus. Nothing, nothing on this earth will last long enough to enjoy in eternity. Items we treasure after we die will probably not be treasured by our offspring, or at least not forever. What's even more sobering to me are the many hundreds of photographs from the past, beautiful people, babies, houses, boats, on and on - photos that have been forgotten and now sit in a basket in a dark corner of an antique store.<br />
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Let's keep living focused on eternity. Learn what eternity's values are. What will last forever? Focus on God.<br />
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King Solomon's thoughts from Ecclesiastes:<br />
<i>"So I said in my heart, "As it happens to the fool, it also happens to me, and why was I then more wise?" Then I said in my heart, "This is also vanity." For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!"</i> Ecclesiastes 2:15,16.<br />
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PHOTOS:<br />
Top:An old ball and chain!!! :D<br />
Middle: Old bottles.<br />
Bottom: My daughter :)<br />
I love you daughter!<br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-2237480185735325862015-01-15T11:55:00.000-09:002015-04-01T16:01:39.649-08:00My "Sons of Thunder" UPDATED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: red;">UPDATE</span>:The story of my sons experiences on the Iron Dog trail have been posted at their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ak.tsot">Sons of Thunder Facebook page</a>. It was an exciting week not only for them but for us that watched it via Irondog.com's GPS connection. Many mishaps along the way due to the trail having so little snow and in many places no snow at all! Skipping their sleds across open water and in Golovin Bay they suddenly found themselves in open sea water with land in the far distance. You may enjoy reading their story which was also shared in our local newspaper and included here for your convenience: <a href="http://www.frontiersman.com/sports/bond-of-brothers-endures-toughest-iron-dog-race-in-the/article_7efbd78e-cac3-11e4-95ac-0f48c4409bc9.html">The Mat-Su Frontiersman, The Bond of Brothers Endures Toughest Iron Dog Race in Event's History. </a> Bravo to my sons Klint and Kris who are no longer Iron Dog Rookies since they persevered and finished the race and are now Iron Dog Veterans!</div>
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My sons Klint and Kris are preparing to race in the Iron Dog Snowmobile Race. They have been riding their machines for long distances whenever they can get away from the responsibilities of work and families that tie many of us down everyday. Young couples with young families are especially too busy so getting away is not as often as they would like to. The guys say that they will be happy to just finish the race as the competition in this race is very stiff with many <a href="http://www.irondog.org/race-results-archive/">veteran teams</a> that will be on the trail a head of them. Personally, I have no desire to run the 2031 miles strenuous, fast and as they say <a href="http://www.irondog.org/">"the longest, toughest snowmobile race"</a> and neither does my husband even if I have to say so for him. :P We could do a funny video of how not to win the Iron Dog... ha! (nah!!!!)</div>
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I am hoping to see a lot of photos from the trail (no time for pictures from the trail Mom.) and get reports to share about how and where they are (good luck). Irondog.org will be equipping all the sleds with GPS tracking gadgets so keeping track of them during the run will be hard not to keep watching! I watched my son Klint for the 2014 Iron Dog Trail Class and found that I can become very irritated if the gadgets don't do what they are supposed to do. :-\ This year there seems to be more confidence in what will be attached to the machines. Hope. Hope.</div>
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Like and Follow my sons on their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/klint.kris.sot">Iron Dog Team #49 Sons of Thunder</a> facebook page.</div>
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The following photos of my sons and their proud Dad were taken by Marie Aaberg, my daughter. </div>
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-1729641404522271582015-01-05T11:24:00.000-09:002015-01-05T11:24:01.634-09:00Feeling BetterChristmas is laying all over my living room rug. That is how far I got even with help from Doug. I have been having a weird sickness. No fever. No runny nose. Just extremely weak and tired. Not sick and tired, just weak and tired. Anyway, today I feel better.<br />
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It is cold today; minus temps and according to our weather forecast it will be for the next week. It is good for freezing up the open water but does it have to be that cold? This morning the sky is a rosy pink with a purple-ish blue on the horizon. It always seems to look that way when it is cold.</div>
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By the time I figured out iCloud and got this picture of Sleeping Lady taken, all the rosy and blues were gone and all I had left was and is the cold! Brrrrr!</div>
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Back to cleaning. And I am thankful today that I feel so good. Thank You Jesus!</div>
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<i>"...abounding in thanksgiving."</i> Colossians 2:7</div>
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Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-65967464930802593162015-01-01T18:22:00.003-09:002015-01-01T18:22:46.576-09:00Holidays are Over!Holidays are over and here it is 2015!<br />
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My new years resolution... haha. If anyone ever does these things anymore...<br />
I plan to kiss Doug on his lips every day! He is happy about this resolution and I think I might be able to do this. hehe. We will see.<br />
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Thanksgiving, my family and I made reservations at Cattle Co. for dinner. I was not that impressed. The turkey fixings were not outstanding but there was turkey. Nothing beats home cooked for sure! But the absence of piles of dishes and aching feet was totally enjoyed with the loving hugs and fun of family around.<br />
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Christmas we all got together on Christmas Eve and enjoyed each other. We ate chili soup, played games then opened gifts. It was such a nice time together and the very happy point of the celebration was that our oldest granddaughter was with us.<br />
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Divorce is an ugly wound in families and her absence was a result of all the wrongs and hurts that come out of a very caustic separation and divorce. This Christmas I had hope that my dear grandchildren will be climbing out of all this mess to try and proceed on with their own lives, their own ideas of what they want and don't want in their every day's.<br />
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I want to get back into blogging. The constant mind control of an aging Mom and her needs are not here anymore for filling my thoughts away from blogging. So I find myself thinking about what I would like to share.<br />
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God has been faithful. <br />
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<span class="ln-group" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">The steadfast love of the <span class="divine-name" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-transform: uppercase;">LORD</span> never ceases;</span><br style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;" /><span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;">his mercies never come to an end;</span><br style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;" /><span class="ln-group" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">they are new every morning;</span><br style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;" /><span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;">great is your faithfulness.</span><br style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;" /><span class="ln-group" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">“The <span class="divine-name" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-transform: uppercase;">LORD</span> is my portion,” says my soul,</span><br style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;" /><span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;"><i>“therefore I will hope in him.” </i>Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)</span><br />
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<i><span class="indent" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; margin-left: 35px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></i>Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-5551059462825179152014-11-22T08:41:00.001-09:002014-11-22T08:41:42.654-09:00Waiting For SnowWe have been enjoying such warm weather and I am thankful but I think we need some snow. For the plants, for the snowmachine plans my sons have (running in the Irondog Sled race).<br />
I have just turned on my computer after a very long time! I just pick up my iphone or mini ipad and check the world through those easy to access gadgets but the computer shows so much more and here I am on my blog checking it out. It definitely needs to be updated so maybe today....<br />
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<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-43735764649230775722014-07-07T15:30:00.001-08:002014-07-07T15:30:42.690-08:00Summer 2014We have had some nice weather and it was too dry but then we had rain and now we have partly sunny skies so we have had a pretty nice summer so far.<div>
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We drove up to north for the Nenana Gospel Music Fest which Doug participated in with a group that is now called True North. It was very hot there and with that comes many big bugs! Yeck! The day we came home we had 93 degrees fahrenheit. I had to write that out because I forgot how to do the alt+number to get the degree sign. (If you don't use it---it gets lost somewhere up in that dark cavity.) Anyway, summer is going here in Alaska.</div>
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Our garden is producing radishes but nothing else! What's up with that? grrrr. </div>
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My little dog was lost... but now he is found. :-) Oh boy. That is such a troubling time when some little critter that you love is lost!!! He is so small I can imaging all sorts of horrid things happening to him. Foxes. Eagles. Other big dogs. Wolves. Bears. Big mosquitoes sucking him to death! Yes, I have a wild and vivid imagination and most of the time it causes grief... not only for me but for the ones I love. :-P</div>
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I hope your summer, or winter is going well so far.</div>
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Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-73581160471840202902014-06-12T12:04:00.003-08:002014-06-12T12:04:37.359-08:00Checking Out the New DesignsI think it is time for a change, so I will be trying some different layouts. Looks like fun.Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-77583180446383456272014-06-11T15:20:00.002-08:002014-06-11T15:20:50.053-08:00My MommaI am thinking that I probably won't ever stop thinking about my Mom and her life. At this point she has been filling my thoughts a lot.<br />
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Mom passed away on May 18th, 2014. Losing her is still too fresh to me to forget --- on a daily basis. I knew that we were in her last days and it was Sunday morning. If it were totally up to me I would have went to sit with her instead of getting ready to go to church that morning. No one knows how long one will linger in the last days of life so that morning I slowly got up and began to get ready for church knowing that after service I would be going directly to her side where I knew I would find my sister Kotya too. <br />
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Mom had been having trouble breathing that week. She would grab a fistful of her skin on her thigh and pinch-squeeze. That concerned us. I will never know why she did that because in mom's last to at least six or more months she had lost her voice and could not communicate vocally. I had thought of trying to teach her sign language but even that seemed a hard task to attempt. Mom had been diagnosed with dementia. After all the years rubbing elbows with the elderly in different hospitals and assisted home settings since I have been Mom's main support I have come to believe that we all, or many of us, will travel that same forgetting road. It is a rotting world we live in and even the mind will succumb to disease along side the organs and limbs when we also grow old.<br />
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Writing is very therapeutic to me.<br />
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I used to write a lot here on blogger.com before my life was filled with Mom. She came to us one day after she had left the house her family had built for her. She left one summer day because of my alcoholic brother. <br />
Unless you know the history of Mom's health (which even I at that point was not aware of) you wouldn't realize the feat of wonder it was for her to walk at least two miles to a small country store where she sat down with her old dog Odessa. She said that Odessa had told her that it was time to leave their home after my brother had threatened to hurt them both. (He was drunk.) So Mom and Odessa walked away. That day, via the local police and my sister Mom eventually came to me and Odessa was taken to the dog pound. "She was pretty old," Mom said. "Odessa needed to rest now," she said.<br />
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In the first year that I began to help Mom with her life I learned that she had recovered from five strokes all by herself. I can remember how tired she used to be. When I was told that I could understand because I know others that have been hospitalized for one stroke, Mom had five.<br />
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I will write more another day.<br />
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I love and miss you so much Momma.<br />
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Mom was 83</div>
<br />Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-57111403540785124172013-11-29T17:05:00.003-09:002013-11-29T17:05:45.529-09:00It Was A Nice ThanksgivingWe enjoyed our day. I was busy all day preparing food and doing last minute clean ups. I always wonder how our house gets messy because we don't have any more kids at home! That Doug!! :-D<br />
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I hope you all had a great day too.Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-8911045298259127462013-11-18T14:51:00.001-09:002013-11-18T14:51:37.360-09:00The Widow Maker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WsItC8nJ6Uc/UoqiMqEEpJI/AAAAAAAABuM/itFqFu0iHWA/s1600/IMG_8923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WsItC8nJ6Uc/UoqiMqEEpJI/AAAAAAAABuM/itFqFu0iHWA/s320/IMG_8923.JPG" width="320" /></a><b>Doug and his bass.</b></div>
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Okay I have been off the blog net for quite a while! So much has happened since my last post and not all good.<div>
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The one event that has impacted my life the most is the sudden heart attack that my husband had on October 5, 2013. It is still very recent but because my husband was so active and in health he has recovered almost completely. We just went to see his regular doctor last week and he pointed out the evidences of continued heart trauma that occured when his heart was without oxygen.</div>
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Life without my husband would have been song-less! I can't imagine life without him at this point. I know there are very many brave ladies (and men) out there that have been given the awful situation of losing a mate and then continued on with life alone, my heart goes out to you. </div>
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The doctor said Doug had the bad one of all heart attacks, <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/the-widowmaker-heart-attack-all-there-is-to-know-6117664.html">"the widow maker" </a>but because everything clicked along really quickly after I called 911 he has little damage to recover from. I am very thankful for our paramedics doing their job so well.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #e5e5e5; color: #111111; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/the-widowmaker-heart-attack-all-there-is-to-know-6117664.html">It is a very serious condition. If the artery gets occluded completely and all at once then you'll be having a massive heart attack which is very likely to lead to a case of sudden death</a>.</span></blockquote>
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I highly encourage anyone that suspects anything going on with their heart not to delay getting seen by someone that can tell you what is going on. Call 911 quickly, it may be the difference between life and death or a life with a lot of recovery.</div>
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Today I am very grateful that my husband is still around here and he is doing well.</div>
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Thank you kind Shepherd, You have been very kind to us.</div>
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Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-77816049161997498592012-04-14T17:49:00.004-08:002012-04-14T18:47:35.958-08:00Memory Lane<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oA7LMQWr2fI/T4oyoZF2xJI/AAAAAAAABsA/hLErnThID_k/s1600/120414-182317.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oA7LMQWr2fI/T4oyoZF2xJI/AAAAAAAABsA/hLErnThID_k/s320/120414-182317.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731449145293980818" /></a><span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Today I got a message on </span>Facebook<span style="font-size: 100%;"> from my nephew Brandon. He was working on an oral report and asked about my Dad's house in Old Harbor and what had happened to it after the earthquake and tidal wave of 1964. Boy, that got me back into the past. Old pictures, old times, Old Harbor. </span></span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">I was thankful to find that I had a picture of the house my Dad built in Old Harbor. When my youngest brother Mark was still alive my Mom normally lived at the same small house he was at. This house was built by our family for Mom after my Dad died. It ended up that Mark lived there and in 2010 he died there. (Boy does time fly!) After Mark died my husband Doug and I ended up being the ones that cleaned up the house and took care of Mark's animals. Since there would be no one living there after we moved Mom out into an assisted living facility Doug drained the pipes and winterized it. There it sits to this day. If I had the money I would pay the taxes on it and I would make it liveable again. Alcoholism is tough on material possessions!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">We went through what little paperwork we could find that looked important then brought them home with us in case it was needed for Mom's future. We arranged with the neighbors to check the mailbox every so often and we stopped by there to pick it up, when needed. </div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">As Doug was picking things up in the yard he found a garbage container filled with trash and in it was some photographs! This sort of stuff happens when someone is alcoholic. I am so glad that Doug checked this stuff and salvaged the pictures. They are precious to me, even this one picture of the house that Dad built. One thing that was not salvageable was the big bear hide that my brother owned from a hunting trip that he went on. It was wet after sitting in the drip of the eave for we don't even know how long. Sad to let things go that would have been a link to someone you loved. But when death is fresh on your heart it is hard to think of 'stuff.' So we left that behind but brought some of the old pictures home from the trash barrel.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Shortly after my brother died my Mom lost her mind. Maybe this is a protection? Personally, I believed she had suffered a stroke, but the doctor said there was no sign of any NEW strokes. He did tell me that it appeared that she had survived five strokes in her past and that she had recovered from them without medical care. Mom does not even remember Mark right now. She asks once in a while who the boy was that used to live at her house. " It was Mark, Mom." "Mark?" It is amazing to me how she forget someone that had such a big part of her every day.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">I have a new laptop and my first ever web cam. :-) I was trying to figure out how to get my pictures from my phone to my laptop, and saw the webcam. So there you have it. A new way to take a picture of an old house. </div><div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m4zHM7cbR5U/T4o2AiXAeZI/AAAAAAAABsM/puClA8YMm-E/s1600/120414-182456.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m4zHM7cbR5U/T4o2AiXAeZI/AAAAAAAABsM/puClA8YMm-E/s320/120414-182456.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5731452858633582994" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span >Ha ha!</span></div></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">
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</div>Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-15048204845781105142012-02-09T17:45:00.001-09:002012-02-10T09:01:44.488-09:00Moose CalfSince early last spring we've observed a cow with twins. They kept showing up here and there and different ones of the family would say they saw them. This winter we have had a lot of snow and the minus temperatures began in November! Seems the very cold days hung on forever and the snow kept falling. With the deeper snowfall we have seen a lot of moose on the plowed roads. Not a good mix--ambling moose and frenzied drivers.<br />
A few months back we saw two dead moose calves. One appeared to have just curled up and died. Makes my heart sad.<br />
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Now for the last three days a cow and calf have hung out here near the house. The calf walked slower than usual. Just stays bedded down while the cow moved on browsing. She keeps returning and bedding down close by throughout the day.<br />
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Doug got out his tree trimmer and cut down the high branches and put them near the calf. He ate yesterday and this morning. After eating this morning he laid down and hasn't lifted his head once. I am concerned. I don't know much about moose everyday life but I suspect this is not normal.<br />
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Say a prayer for our moose calf.<br />
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Update: This calf died last night. 2/10/12<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z-d1abNMOYM/TzSEuxJKVPI/AAAAAAAABr0/erCA-8QkjcE/s640/blogger-image-1146842982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Z-d1abNMOYM/TzSEuxJKVPI/AAAAAAAABr0/erCA-8QkjcE/s640/blogger-image-1146842982.jpg" /></a></div>Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-47267207783644358722012-02-07T10:51:00.001-09:002012-02-07T11:03:33.305-09:00Bigger Than Real LifeToday the mountains appear larger than they really are. There is something in the air that acts as a magnifying glass which makes them look closer and taller than they are. It even lifts the mountains beyond the mountains that we normally see everyday to loom taller than those in the foreground.<br />
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This reminds me of how our troubles jump out larger than they are a lot of times. The saying "making mountains out of molehills" comes to my mind as I gaze out on this beautiful world this morning.<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-57ARel5lnbo/TzGDk6PCHHI/AAAAAAAABrs/5DdJhonkM2Y/s640/blogger-image-1143032549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-57ARel5lnbo/TzGDk6PCHHI/AAAAAAAABrs/5DdJhonkM2Y/s640/blogger-image-1143032549.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2IbYU1q3VH4/TzGDhSHKGgI/AAAAAAAABrk/at2mJDVJpec/s640/blogger-image-1197134686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2IbYU1q3VH4/TzGDhSHKGgI/AAAAAAAABrk/at2mJDVJpec/s640/blogger-image-1197134686.jpg" /></a></div>Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8459417.post-38432608435315363212012-02-05T23:21:00.001-09:002012-02-05T23:21:45.767-09:00ReadingI just spent some time reading my old posts after recieving an email from a person that claimed to have read here. I read back to when I had the surgery that quieted my facial spasm. What a blessing to still be enjoying the results of that trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! I am thankful!Connie Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03823945953153064691noreply@blogger.com0