Sunday, June 29, 2008
Too Busy to Blog?
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Introducing Willie
Nine years ago, on the island of Saipan, in Micronesia, I, Alana Greear had a job. (Thinking about the fact that it has been nine years since I have been gainfully employed outside my home is a bit frightening and is making me laugh, working was so NOT hard...but that is an entirely different story.) I had a job as a teacher. I also had an American friend who had just adopted a darling girl of Yapese heritage named Velarie. This friend asked if while I was at work (because I had a job...hee hee hee) if I would keep an eye on her new daughters brother... Willie. Since I was teaching his grade this was no problem. I'll never forget conversation she and I had, "Alana, he is just so small...he's only 5 and he doesn't speak English very well and times are tough at home."
And then Willie was in my life. Willie and I spent the afternoons together after school. After about a week he asked if his brother could come with us. I said that I would have to ask his mother and so we went to his house. The apartment door was away from the road, down a dirt driveway. She had a rice cooker on a makeshift table in what would be an Arctic entry here. The walls were sparse and unpainted. There was no furniture and the heat in the room was stifling hot. Even with the louvers open there was no breeze. The other two kids were really little. They all had bug bites up their legs. I asked if DeeJay could come with me and Willie and Lucy was so kind. She was so afraid that he would be a bother. "No bother!" I said. "Two boys are a bother!" She assured me. I assured her that it would be no bother. Luckily, Islanders are not good at saying no (too confrontational) and so she relented. That was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
We had terrific adventures driving around the island, swimming in Mel and Marc's pool, going to the beach and then Falcom came along and then we had to move and they needed to stay...
Last year DeeJay moved in with us. We told Lucy and Manuel that since there is no economy in Saipan and no hope for young men like him we would love to have him come here. We thought maybe Willie would come then too, but Willie is very sensitive and shy and was not ready yet to come. We've had a wonderful time with DeeJay, watching him grow into the successful man he is destined to be.
This weekend Willie came. The remaining Paag family has finally given up on Saipan and is now on Guam. The Greears are a family of 6.
We went to Anchorage Friday night when DeeJay got off work. We took the Mel Mobile and the mattress and tents. We stayed at the most disgusting camping area in Alaska, Centennial Park. It's not the park itself that is so bad. It's centrally located and cheap (since hotels this time of year are through the roof). I will say that they have done a lot to improve the park from the days when there were condoms in the shower stalls. I think the problem with the park lies in the people who move in to the park as a permanent housing solution. For instance, this time we had some neighbors with huge dogs (4 of them) the people drank beer until after midnight and the dogs were crying at 4 am. Last year, when we were there, a kid on the playground told Falcom that the hardest part of living in the park was keeping the families 12 cats inside their tent.
We shopped like crazy and just happened to be
We left C.C. and went to pick up Willie. I was able to convince Vince that going to the airport early was a good idea. Luckily we did as his flight was a half hour early. We all got boarding passes to go through security. Watching Vince unload his pockets to go through security was like a Steve Martin skit. Hence, this weeks poll. We got to the gate at the perfect moment to watch his plane land. DeeJay was so excited. Seeing Willie come through the gate was like magic for my soul. I am so thankful.
The drive home from Anchorage was filled with statements that only someone who had never been off the island could ask. "How many mountains are there?" "Who owns the moose?" "You mean it's not morning? (it was 9:30 at night)." "We have been driving so long and it is still not dark." "Oh my God, (the house) is a palace!".
Some of you may remember how we froze DeeJay the first week he was here by assuming he knew that the shower faucet had hot water. Well, we weren't going to make a mistake like that again! After the first night Willie came upstairs shaking cold. I asked him what happened. He told me it was so cold at night. The next night I went down there and found the bed made exactly as I had made it the first night. "Willie, did you get under the blankets last night?" There I was teaching Willie about blankets.
May the circle, be unbroken...
Marina's Bluegrass Success
What Has Been Keeping Me From This Blog?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Bluegrass Clips
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Regular Tuesday with Irene does Bluegrass Camp
Doesn't she look like a natural?
Sharon was there without her kids (can you imagine how we are turning a page in our mothering years) and between her and Irene it was a lively conversation.
It was so great to hang with my gals again. They were hilarious.Next week we might try doing it at MY HOUSE. Yikee! Pressure is on.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
A Busy Day
The most touching gift Maya received was a handmade book by the Sonnen's about Maya's adoption journey. They reproduced pictures of her and the Wise family in colored pencil and wrote the story of her never being alone. It made Irene cry. Then it made me cry. Then I warned Priscilla not to read it, but she did and it made her cry. It is a beautiful book. I told Irene to keep it filed next to Love You Forever for those times when you really want to get sentimental and cry yourself to sleep. She agreed.
I left the baby shower in time to pick up my kids, husband and mother to head for Mariner ParkBeach, where Kate Finn was having her 63rd
birthday party. More delicious food, more fun conversations with long time friends. It was windy at the beach and cold, but warm by the fire. Kate's cake was a Tarimisu. We drank sparkling cider out of paper bowls. Happy Birthday Kate!
We blasted off the beach, dropped my mother and the kids off at the Shack and went up Dimond Ridge Road where we joined up with the 40th birthday celebration of Emily W.
This cake was the feature of a blog poll several weeks ago about ordering your own birthday cake, and is it OK? Yes, Jenni M. took care of Emily (and all of us for that matter and got this cake for her). It was a fun adult hang out party. I was glad to meet Suzanne and Jean's boss Randy and his wife after all I've heard about them. I was also relieved to meet people (not Randy and Bobbie) who were unfortunate enough to witness the end of our civilization as we know it; the summer television program 'Swingtown'. Yes, it's a show set in 1973 about couples who swing. Yes, the movie 'Idiocracy' is becoming a non-fiction film.
Happy Birthday Emily! Thanks for including me in a fun night!
Vince took this picture on Skyline as we were driving home at 12:30 at night. Summer, Homer, Alaska.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Visitor
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Marina and Mommy Go Shopping
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Marina Climbing at McNeil
The following instructional video will help all young McNeil students refine their climbing skills.
Marina (not even in kindergarten yet) Climbing
Monday, June 9, 2008
DeeJay's Success! - A Warning to Motorists
Jackie and Flint's Wedding
Some loyal readers may remember the woman standing second from the left in the above picture from the following post, http://greears.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-party.html. My dear friend Margarita's daughter got married yesterday to another friend of ours son, Flint. It was a fantastic day, just right for the bride and groom, not to fancy, not to bland...just right. Jackie was a beautiful bride. I remember her as a small girl. It is funny to think that I am old enough to know a little girl who now has a son of her own and a husband!
They did a wonderful job decorating Alice's Champagne Palace to make it look beautiful. They had Japanese lanterns hanging around and flowers all around.
And the sweetest part of weddings for little kids; being able to dance as much as you want with your dad.
The other sweet part of going to weddings is remembering your own wedding...
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Sunday, June 8, 2008
Book Group has an Evening with Anne Lamott
Marina and I made fiddleheads again and totally knocked it out of the park!
But for me hearing Anne speak was also like going to hear a lecture by a Buddhist monk. She could vocalize a part of our Christian tradition that is so often over looked or brushed off or poo-pooed. That part is the suffering. So often I feel like we are told that we will suffer less if we pray more. Like if we want to be good church ladies we have to be Paulianna's. Anne Lamott pretty much said, "Life is Suffering. We all suffer equally. We are loved equally by God and we suffer equally. Why be ashamed of that? Why try to hide that? That is what is real. Be real."
Thank you Mom for having another super party at your place. Thank you Anne for coming to our town and invigorating us! This evening totally lived up to the Book Group Living Legend Legacy!