Sarah Palin's Alaska and Tiki Barber

For any of your political leanings, Alaska seen through the Palin's eyes is fascinating. She and parts of her family visit icebergs, stock car racing where Willow and her Dad--and 16-year old Willow won! She got her driver's license after that.

Sarah gets to try most things--moving a log, etc. Piper drove a boat out into the lake that led to the final exit of oil from Trudeau. She explains about oil and logging has renewable resources, and they visit old gold mining camps. You see parts of Alaska that no tourist will ever see. Gold is still mined but it excavated from lakes in Cripple. They took the many of the Palin family down to the beach. Sarah drove the highest rpm four wheeler. She is a tough competitor and loves to try new things.

Will I vote for her if she runs for President? I am not sure about that. Do I like her as an intelligent, educated, strong leader. Oh yeah!

JD

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If I had a rant, it would be the Japanese-American history

I am a current volunteer at our local library. As I was shelving non-fiction, I stumbled on "All they Could Carry," about the internment process. It's a poignant, bitter, and unbelievable. I can't put the right words to it, but the poems, the sketches, and various journals news pieces almost unsettle my sleep.

Now I am listening to a CD on tape--7 CD's--a historical fiction piece about the small town that had the most difficult time adjusting to Japanese nearby. So much pain, so much harsh reality, and only a little positive from a few good men and their families.

It's "Tallgrass" by Sandra Dallas. Listening to a book has its benefits--you can do other menial tasks around the house, listen in the car, rest on the couch or in bed. Most books have a wonderfully talented narrator.

My tour of fiction found a historical fiction novel tied into the same theme. My next book on CD has other ethnicities with the theme that you never really fit in even after 30 years.

Well, consider my lead on some topic of your own. If you liked Wallender on PBS Mystery (Kenneth Branagh), that's a series of great books also. Next is an adolesent version of Sherlock Holmes, which should be fun--still not my best versions. Feels like we are really dumbing down our literature.

JoAnn (JD)

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No substitute

This title is sort of a double entendre. There is no substitute for my new living situation on the coast. I am constantly awed, subdued, and captivated by the ocean and its waves. With multiple accesses up and down the coast, this is truly a blessed area. I find myself more content and happy than I have been in awhile.

The other meaning of substitute is that I was hired yesterday as an official Substitute in Lincoln County. Apparently there are lots of days available, especially for those who can work from primary to high school. We start soon.

Beyond that, I am in a women's study at my church which starts in about an hour. I also got to participate in a ladies' retreat here that was held last weekend from the church we attended in Cottage Grove. That was fun and inspiring as well. The pinball machine was ruled by Grammy--about 90 years old.

I need to go. Please stick with me. I will try to keep me up to date.

JoAnn (JD)

This is a test. Do not be alarmed!

I have mislead my Facebook fans on the way to find and log into my blog. If you already have an account, nothing has changed. If not, I am fixing it now. Thanks for conversing with me.

JoAnn (JD)

Practical in-home coverage

It's been a little while so here I am. I have selected this color type as it almost matches the color of my morning toothbrush. My evening toothbrush is deep blue. By the way, I have two toothbrushes because a dentist whose name I can no longer recommended it, suggested it as a good dental habit. So, you decided if his suggestion is wise, but keep in mind this color is like soft grass, or light flowing through leaves. My blue one matches the blue evening skies, particularly the incredible skies here at the Oregon Coast. The Pacific Ocean is a wonder.

Beyond colors, toothbrushes, morning and evening nature scenes, I am now almost completely moved in. I have a few projects yet, particularly a clothesline of hooks for my hats to decorate a wall in my small bedroom. Most are various brightly-colored ball caps. I love those hat and they suit me--sporty and fun. I have a few others--a couple that make me look like Audrey Hepburn (not close at all but vaguely), a racing hat, and one that makes me look like a newsie. That's to be done this week. Plus a rather quirky project to replace the vertical blinds in the back wall of my townhouse.

To give you a bit of a visual, the house has a vaulted ceiling that creates a huge feeling of space in the living area, and also makes the back wall all windows, and a sliding door to the back deck. This wall of windows allows a wonderful view of trees and plants, plus a family of deer. The speckled twins are breathtaking beautiful and adorably cute. I am watching them grow out my window.

Outside these walls, I train as a library volunteer on Monday. I am planning to put in 2-3 hours on Saturday afternoons. I definitely asked not to put plastic covers on paperbacks--I am terrible at that, don't even wrap presents well. I will probably shelve books, and read them--going over others work and just fixing up mistakes. I would also like to help with children's activities as allowable. The other library job that appeals is tracking down the hold requests as this can be items all over the library--they even call a detective hunt.

If possible, I want to get the SMART training. It's a program here in Oregon that is Start Making a Reading Today. Adults read with select younger elementary students for two sessions a week. Has good researched results.

Then it's time for subbing in the schools in September. With three budget cuts, local schools consolidated classes and released some teachers. Even though there was a special ed opening, larger classes were the solution which is really too bad. Hopefully, next year will be better. Beyond that, I will poke around for other jobs working with kids--head start, social service/transition programs..

Well, that's my update. Nothing too philosophical. I realized that I can all my bills withing walking distance or online. That was a eco-friendly discovery. I also realized that I can drive from my home, 22 miles south to Newport, and then east on 20 to visit my daughter and return in one day. It's a nice drive. They are well.

JD