December 2000
 

Hi to All!  What a blessing to have been able to see the beginning of a new century!  Hope everyone had a great Christmas - we enjoyed the first holiday of this new century and had a nice "White Christmas" with Mom, Eugene, Bradley and I Ö. plus our friend Elmer joined us for dinner.  I am so thankful to be blessed with wonderful family and great friends Ö which is each & every one of you!

January 2000 started at -60°F Ö just a bit chilly!  I joined the ranks of the unemployed again in February, but had the good fortune to obtain a temporary, part-time position with Alaska Dept of Fish & Game Subsistence Div from mid-August through November.  My job was to do surveys of households in Tok on their migratory bird harvest.  The Lord has a plan for me, I just have to be patient and leave my life in His hands!  Bradley decided to test his wings and moved out of the house this fall and is rooming with a friend here in Tok.  He worked until early November at Fast Eddy's as the "burger world" cook, and had intended to move to Anchorage - but that didn't pan out like he'd hoped.  Now he is considering moving to Fairbanks.  Time will tell Ö he is young and has lots to experience!  He will always be my "baby" and I am so thankful he is my son.  We get to see him fairly often Ö when he comes home for food, doing his laundry, and an occasional hug!

One of the biggest highlights of the year for me was my Tok High School 25th Class Reunion on July 29!  We were a small class - 4 out of the 8 of us who graduated in '75 were able to attend Ö plus 3 of the 4 who were part of our class but graduated at the end of our junior year.  We also had 3 of our teachers join us along with a few parents.  There was a 'bring your own lunch' and visiting at the VFW picnic area in the afternoon; then we had a wonderful dinner that evening at Fast Eddy's.  We ended our day by going to the Snowshoe Motel (which is owned & managed by a classmate and her family) for taking group pictures by their beautiful landscaping!  It was a great time - many thanks to our classmate, Geri, for pulling it all together!

I sure treasure the time I have been able to spend with several of my cousins' children - Azia, Patrick, Kelsey, Larissa, Hayly, & Hana - at different times during the year Ö they are all such a joy - and so precious!  I was able to attend Kelsey's 2nd birthday party - what a delight she is!  Mom & I also get to help "spoil" some friends' little ones in Tok Ö. Jaymes, Hunter and John.  Being around all of these young people is such a joy!

I am pleased to report that Mom is doing well Ö. her checkups are A-OK, and she has recovered from her bruises, aches and pains after falling on the back stairs after an ice storm.  On a sad note though, Uncle Vern (Dad's oldest brother) passed away this fall.  I can just picture Dad and Jason greeting him in heaven Ö. sitting at the coffee shop to chat and share jokes.  Aunt Phyllis seems to be doing ok.  She had to have her gall bladder removed recently and is recovering nicely.  Uncle Bud had both knees replaced this year Ö and he is getting around great - some say he even got taller!

The Tok Native Association and Denakkanaaga, Inc. sponsored an "Elder Appreciation" dinner and ceremony in April, and they honored Mom as one of the elders.  Her certificate reads, "In recognition and honor of your wisdom and contributions to the younger generations of the upper Tanana region."  Mom spent the summer in Eagle as usual - fishing, gardening and berry picking.  She had to work hard to get all the salmon she wanted this year as a result of so many closures of the subsistence fishing due to the low salmon run.  She delights in having Riba DeWilde's kids around when she is in Eagle - Riba has been helping Mom fish for the past 5 years.  If it wasn't for Riba and her kids plus assistance from Rick Layman and others, Mom would not be able to fish and put up her delicious salmon (stripping, canning, freezing, kipper, and smoking)!  We really appreciate all these kind friends!  The result of their efforts sure does taste good during the winter!

Yes, Mom got her moose this fall Ö hunting by herself along the Taylor Hwy not far from Eagle.  Eugene was also a successful hunter!  Mom also joined Eugene, Leroy, Bud & the rest of the gang at moose camp on the Yukon River.  The location of moose camp will change to just below Nation next year - thanks to our cousin, Willard Biederman, who gift-deeded some of his native allotment land to Eugene for this purpose.  Now the family can build permanent structures like a cabin & tent frames, on our own "Moose Camp" on the Yukon River!

Eugene made us all proud when he sued Gordon Haber and Friends of Animals for removing a wolf from Eugene's snare 3 years ago.  After a 2 week trial held in Tok during June, the jury found both defendants responsible and awarded Eugene a large sum of money.  He pry won't see any of the money for a long time, if ever, due to their appeals; but

Eugene is happy about the verdict and that justice was served Ö. no one can steal from another, no matter what!  Eugene's lawyer, Zane Wilson, was raised in Tok Ö. what a great accomplishment!  We are proud of them both!  A short article about this verdict was even in the "Alaska" magazine.

Well folks, I had spent a very long time dreading it, but I finally got a headstone for Jason this summer.  Bradley, Eugene and a couple of Jason's friends installed it this fall.  What a blessing to have that done.  I feel so much better now - it was just a hurdle that was difficult for me to cross.  The gal that made it lives in Palmer and I highly recommend her (AAA Monuments) should you ever need one.  I went to Palmer in June to order it and stayed with a recently discovered cousin, Terri Lynn Houston, and her husband, Craig.  They are great folks, and I was blessed to meet them!  When I went back in July to pick up the headstone, I stayed with my friends, Geri & Allen.  We had a great visit and I got to do the 'hunt for McDonalds Teenie Beanies' in person!  J

I still spend a lot of time on the computer, surfing and e-mailing!  Am also still collecting beanie babies!  Maybe some day I'll grow up!  hehehe  I also remain active in the Tok-A-Tan Homemakers FCE Club, and volunteer for the Tok Dog Musher's Association running their raffle ticket sales over Race of Champions weekend at the end of March each year.  My e-mail address changed this year when Tok got its very own internet service:  alcan@aptalaska.net    If you are on-line, please send me an e-mail sometime; I enjoy using the internet to stay in touch with family & friends.

Wishing you Peace, Love & Joy in 2001!