Thanks, we needed that

It has been raining for three days now. Finally! It is our Alaskan summer come home. Yay!

Seriously, we need the rain. Alaska has been burning this summer - temperatures have been extremely high . . . . for us. Yes, I know that many of you are suffering or have been suffering in 100+ degree heat. Trust me on this - THAT is how 75+ feels to an Alaskan. Our blood must be thicker - or thinner - or something. We just don't seem to tolerate the heat very well.

Which is going to be very, very interesting in 4 weeks from tonight . . . as I board a plane . . . and head back "home" to Ohio for a visit with family, friends, and O.L.D. classmates. I have not seen most of these people since 1968, for crying out loud. Hopefully, they will have the same short term memory problems that I have. Heh. I figure that after 36 years we are ALL older, fatter, grayer, balder, than we were in 1968. Well, there was that ONE guy - he was already kinda bald at 18.

But for the rest of us . . . bring on the short term memory loss, please. ;-)

Received our alumni/ae (they are oh, so proper these yearbook peopls) book a couple of weeks ago. My, oh, my . . . where we have all ended up . . . the things we are all doing . . . or not. Five of us have passed on to the next plane, and several are "location unknown."

There have been 40 graduating classes from my school (I was in the fourth class) and only THREE graduates have settled in Alaska. Most are still in Ohio - some of them still in the same neighborhoods in which they grew up.

And - trust a company putting together such a big undertaking as this book to get something wrong . . . my maiden name. LOL. Hubby looked at me when I spelled out THEIR spelling to him and asked (oh, so innocently) "hey, just WHO did I marry?" He's such a funny man.

And, what is it with these women who do NOT put their maiden names in the book???? Now how am I supposed to know who Sally dimples* is? I knew a sally maiden name once, but is that the same sally dimples??? Enquiring minds want to know - pass me the memory juice, will ya?

*erm, I probably don't have to say this - not her real name.

Anyway - four weeks from tonight, I will be heading to Anchorage and boarding a plane and flying across the country to visit with my former classmates. Headed into the heat of an Ohio August summer. How nuts am I? Why is it that they cannot hold these reunions in the winter, huh? Yeah, I don't have an answer, either. ;-))

I am blessed to be able to spend time with a school mate who has kept touch over the years. She and I went to school together. Her husband and my husband went to school together. She started dating her (now) hubby, and they decided that my hubby and I had to meet. We just celebrated our 35th anniversary and they have just had their 33rd - or 34th. And, people said it would never last.

Anyway, they purchased a home last year and this will be the first time I get to see it. They've invited me to stay with them while I am out there. I've been offered peace and quiet - or as much fun as I can handle. It is being left entirely up to me to call the shots. How very generous is that?

While in Ohio I will be visiting my aunt - the one who just had surgery. It has been several years since we've seen each other as they were living in TX until just recently. They visited Alaska in 1993 or 1994 and that was the last time we've visited together. We are both looking forward to it.

Hubby will be foot loose and fancy free while I am gone. Nah - he will be working hard. And, he'll be doing it in much more palatable weather than I. I will be ready to come back home to our fall weather. The fireweed will have all topped out by then, and the fireweed fluff will be flying around and bothering those of us who are allergic.

The fireweed tells us what kind of a winter we are going to have - did you know that? First - you know just about how much longer summer will be here, by how far the blooms are from the top - they bloom bottom to top. We still have a few weeks. (phew!) Second - you can tell how much snow you are going to have by how tall the fireweed grows. OHMYGOODNESS!!!! We are in for a boatload of snow this winter! I have fireweed outside my window that is every bit of 5 feet tall, I'm thinking. Gonna have to get the grandkiddos to stand next to it and take a photo for you to see.

But that is for another day. It is getting near time for me to hit the hay. You all have a wonderful Wednesday.

'night, friends

Posted by Purplemoose at July 27, 2004 09:39 PM