Blog Archives

Christmas Wish List

Posted on December 5, 2011
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Time truly flies by …. December 5, and my task list is just growing and growing. I have tons of school tasks to do still, including three finals, one big research paper, one lab report. On top of all the work stuff, travels and meetings. And there is also the Christmas tasks: bake the gingerbread house, sew the tree skirt, new placemats and table runner, finish (and mail) the holiday cards… I think I will be out of breather sooner than later. However, I am taking a little creative break from all the craziness since it is time to have fun in Mingle Monday! Check it out, join the fun, and share what’s on your Christmas wish list.

I am having such a hard time to come up with my own Christmas wish list, as well as ideas for others. So I really look forward to reading about other’s wish lists – maybe I get some ideas, and can finish the holiday shopping sometime soon. We are traveling over the holidays, so hanging out in Chicago area will be one of the gifts, and I look forward to having a good time with the husband in the Windy City.

Otherwise, I am hoping to get a new pair of earrings or necklace (or even both). I’d absolutely love the crochet head wrap that I’ve been looking for months now, and haven’t found a color and size that I love. And the nerd in me is secretly hoping to get a microscope, so that I could build my own mini-lab. I would also appreciate new clothes – sports clothes and sweaters are always more than welcome. Most importantly, though, I hope to have a nice, relaxing holiday season and spend quality time with my husband. Gifts are fun but it’s way more important to love and be loved.

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Family Photos and Skiing

Posted on December 10, 2010
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It is snowing again here in Alaska. Big, fluffy snow flakes are falling down, and making this place to look like a true Winter Wonderland. Even though I often occasionally complain about the cold weather, and how far away we are from everything and everybody, days like this really make Alaska special. And of course having a White Christmas adds its own special flavor to the whole holiday season.

December has been a busy month so far with all the family photo shoots that I have been doing, on top of my daily job and school papers. But I really, really do love to do family portraits every once in a while. It is such a joyful moment to see happy clients loving their pictures. A complete different feeling and satisfaction than seeing my picture in a newspaper, magazine, calendar ….. Anyways, looks like we all want to have brand new pictures for the holiday cards… including Jason and I. I found a fellow photographer here in Alaska whose style I liked, and had our pictures taken. I saw sneak peeks to our images yesterday, and I couldn’t be happier! So now it is time to print the holiday cards and mail them out. Someone, please, tell me that I am not running late with the cards yet!

The holiday shopping has been progressing slowly. I have to say I am very, very grateful for being able to buy most of the gifts online. First of all the selection here in Alaska is pretty limited, not only at Ft Richardson/Elmendorf AFB Commissary but also shopping centers in downtown are not the same than in Lower 48. And then on the other hand, this year it would have been quite a challenge to find time for shopping. I guess that happens when you squeeze full-time work, 15 credits at the university and all other chores into your agenda.

However, this weekend it will be time to relax. I am almost done with all my finals – only two exams left, one will be done tonight, and the last one will be later next week. I got my new cross-country skis last Friday, so they need to be waxed and tested. Jason and I are also planning to take our downhill skis out this weekend, and officially start the season. Fun-filled weekend ahead!

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Blessings of Home Office

Posted on November 22, 2010
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The new work week here in Southcentral Alaska is starting with some icy weather. As a first thing in the morning, National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning until noon today and some school districts decided to close the schools for the day. We have had freezing rain since last night, so everything is slick and icy this morning. According to the news cars are simply sliding backwards on the hills, and we can expect to see ice up to a quarter-inch thick this morning. I truly feel blessed for being able to work at my home office, and avoiding all this morning commuting. Safe travels to those who are on the roads this morning!

Yesterday J and I took our dog out for a little winter adventure in Eagle River Nature Center. It was one of those gorgeous, winter days up here: we had a blast and Tassu got tired after all the playing, sniffing and running. Poor doggy passed out right away when he got back into the car and got his spot on the backseat.

I also got the Christmas shopping started this past weekend. Actually I had bought a couple of items already earlier but this weekend I finally realized that holidays are coming way too fast. Somehow I have a feeling that holiday stress will find me in a couple of days – just way too many things to do from gift shopping to making table runners and place mats. Not to mention cooking or cleaning.

But while waiting for the stress to come, a few pictures from yesterday’s winter fun.

Tassu - Winter Adventurer

Tassu - Winter Adventurer

Snow and Ice

Snow and Ice

Ice feathers

Ice feathers

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MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #21

Posted on November 12, 2010
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And it’s another Friday. Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching way too fast – I still have a bunch of things on my task list that I haven’t even started yet. New table runners and place mats for holidays are still in planning phase, no clue about Christmas presents yet – except two that I just purchased last week… But now to Friday Fill-In!

1. Were you named after anyone? Not really. Except that my middle name is same than my aunt’s and sister’s middle name, so there is some family history there.

2. What color, if any, are your toenails usually painted? I love pedicures! Wish I had time to have them regularly. In the summer time I like to try all kinds of colors, and usually have flowers or other creative paint work on my big toe nails. In the winter time …. well, people tend to hibernate here in Alaska over the dark winter months and on the other hand, when you really can’t wear flip flops or sandals, who cares!? So in the winter time my toe nails usually are not painted, except for a special occasion.

3. How do you flush a public toilet? Hands? Feet? Something else? Hands. Although I always hope they have those automatically flushing toilets. And I always carry hand sanitizer …

4. When you were a little kid, which TV character did you have a crush on? Hmm, I don’t remember! I liked MacGyver though – he was nice-looking, and nerdy smart :)

5. Let’s say you had to lose one of your five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell). Which one would you choose? Why? I love to see and hear things, so I definitely wouldn’t want to lose those, as well as love the taste of good food. Same thing with the touch – I love to touch and be touched. So smell it is.

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Separation Anxiety

Posted on October 20, 2010
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Sometimes our dog Tassu* truly drives me nuts. He is the cutest, sweetest beagle ever, and most of the time very smart. However, what comes to his relationship with J – those two are absolutely the best buddies ever. When I come home earlier than him, the dog hardly pays attention to me but keeps staring at the door and waiting for his playmate to come home.

Tassu waiting for his best buddy to show up.

This week J has been on the field, and the restless dog keeps running back and forth from upstairs to the front door. First day he didn’t eat at all – not even if the cat was near his food bowl, and still he spends a good part of the night sleeping on the floor upstairs so that he can see if someone is coming in. When J is at home, the dog is the first one to be in the bed in the evenings.

However, this separation anxiety is getting better over the time. In the summer J was in another training in Lower 48 for a full month. Two weeks the dog was sleeping at the front door, whining every once in a while and if a car was slowing down when driving by our house, he was at the door faster than a race car.

Gotta love the dogs, right!?

Besides trying to spoil the dog suffering from separation anxiety I have been overwhelmed by the growing task list and all the things going on. This week is full of school activities – I have still some reading to do for an exam on Friday – as well as have a couple of family photo shoots scheduled. Tuesday nights I sit in the classroom listening to lecture series about Abnormal Psychology, which actually is one of my favorite classes after neuropsychology and biological psychology but the long day is just making me so tired.

Other tasks for the week include a new hair-do (if I only knew what to do with my hair!?), figuring out the Halloween costumes, scheduling a family photo shoot of us …… even once I will be the one who is not taking pics. And trying to come up with a dinner/date ideas for Friday when J gets home.

Speaking of date ideas, Mrs. K and Captain J had a cool date night: Dating on a Budget.

That’s all for now, stay tuned – more updates to follow!

*) His name “Tassu” means a paw in Finnish. I was born in Finland, and when got this little buddy in 2006, wanted to give him a name that means something in Finnish (even though my Finnish skills are vanishing way too fast) but is also pronounceable in English.

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