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Fear

I went to the same school from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. I spent more time than I can calculate hiding under my desk from a nuclear attack. Of course, if that didn’t work for nuclear war protection, there was also going out to the hallway and facing the wall while holding our hands over our heads. Either way, according to Sisters Angelina, Beatrice, Gaetano and all the rest of the Salesian nuns that taught me, we were safe. And if they said we were safe, we were.

I think if I were a child today, there would not be Continue reading →

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My first night

Reading about the push to turn the old ANMC land into something more useful and attractive brought to mind my first night in Alaska.

It was Oct. 1, 1972. I had cried my way from New York City to Anchorage while a very unhappy parrot was in the cargo hold. I have no idea how Adeline made it safely to Anchorage under those conditions, but she did. She was a tough old bird.

I was picked up by an IHS employee and dropped off at the front desk of visitors’ quarters. I stood there holding the cage with Adeline in Continue reading →