FYI October 29, 2016

AEDC’s annual 3-Year Outlook Luncheon was held Wednesday and featured a recap of the 2017 employment numbers and a look forward to the next three years. This year’s luncheon was the first one in a few years that included some optimism about the future of Anchorage’s economy. AEDC is predicting...

Walker administration doubles down as cyber-security experts warn of China’s threat to Alaska; Man in custody for fatal Alaska apartment fire; Alaska man faces life in prison for Florida airport shooting; Kodiak-based district sees challenger to caucus-switching Republican; Napakiak gets federal funding for erosion, climate change impacts; Cash from Congress will boost Alaska-based system that […]

Governor's office says there's no conclusive proof China is spying on Alaska. Listen now

In the wake of a fatal plane crash involving a well-respected flightseeing company, would-be passengers should be aware of their role in small-plane safety while flying in Alaska. Last November I climbed aboard a small airplane on the tarmac of Talkeetna’s small airstrip, bound for Denali’s Sheldon Amphitheatre and a few days of winter adventuring. […]

Greetings Parkinspeople and those who love them, I'm looking for a volunteer to host our next two support group meetings as I will be away visiting family far, far from Alaska. If you can attend the meetings, greet newcomers and help foster a discussion about Parkinson's Disease, this is the volunteer opportunity you have been […]

 AN INVITATION  Summertime, and the livin' is easy... unless you have Parkinson's Disease, in which case the livin' is difficult, no matter what the season. It is however, easier than the livin' in Winter, and that calls for a celebration. But how to acknowledge this season of nature's bounty and torrid 80 degree heat? I […]

I’m a big fan of Ketchikan. Alternately known as the First City or the Gateway City, it’s just a great place to visit. Over the years, I’ve developed some pretty ... The post Up, up and away: Misty Fjords National Monument (Ketchikan) appeared first on Alaska Travelgram.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie My rating: 5 of 5 stars My librarian chose this book for me to read. It is one of PBS’ Great American Reads. I probably would not have chosen it. I’m happy I read it. It is a wonderful book if you want to see America through someone else’s eyes. […]

Washed Away: How the Great Flood of 1913, America's Most Widespread Natural Disaster, Terrorized a Nation and Changed It Forever by Geoff Williams My rating: 4 of 5 stars I had never heard about this event until I stumbled upon this book. The stories in it are amazing and heartbreaking. I have told so many […]

With only 2 ingredients, this DIY chapstick recipe is as simple as it gets. The final lip balm smells amazing – lightly coconut with the slightest hint of sweet honey. And while some chapsticks quickly seem to either disappear in minutes or feel like a waxy coat on top of your lips, this one stays […]

Many of us who grew up in rural areas have fond childhood memories of fruit trees. Maybe it was watching the tree bloom each spring, with the sweet scent of blossoms filling the air. Or maybe it was experiencing the annual harvest, with the smallest kids climbing up and gently shaking tree limbs, while family […]

This Gluten Free Vegan Cherry Pie will easily become your newest obsession. The crust is perfectly flaky and savory while the cherry pie filling is decadent and bursting with sweetened tart cherries.... Visit Allergy Free Alaska to view the full post!

  We came to this land in June of this year, in the midst of a heatwave. We thought we could make a home from the dust but we left after less than two weeks, frustrated. Our plans foiled.  Maybe it wasn’t time yet. Maybe we wimped out. And so we left. For two months […]

My beloved Subaru reached its Third Third, too. Twenty years – what’s that in car years? In Barbara-car-years, we still had miles to go.My previous Subaru was called the Flintstone Car. You know, where Fred’s feet stuck out the bottom and powered the car? Well, the bottom was so rusted on my car, you could […]

It’s interesting how far I’ll go in my Third Third to feel fresh, to have new input, to find a New Thing. This time, it meant internal injury.Not for real! It was the airport’s “2018 Full-scale Disaster Exercise,” and I was so excited when Debora invited me to do it with her. (Debora and I […]

Roll up some inspiration – Burl Ives http://alaskabush.com/bushradio/wp-content/uploads/Roll-up-some-inspiration-Burl-Ives.mp3 I got stoned and I missed it – Shel Silverstein w/ Dr. Hook http://alaskabush.com/bushradio/wp-content/uploads/got-stoned-and-I-missed-it.mp3 Natural Mystic – Bob Marley http://alaskabush.com/bushradio/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Natural_mystic_bob_marley.mp3 I want to get HIGH – Rita Marley http://alaskabush.com/bushradio/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/I_Want_to_Get_High1.mp3 Henry – New Riders Of The Purple Sage http://alaskabush.com/bushradio/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/henry1.mp3   Sweet Leaf – Storm Orphans http://alaskabush.com/bushradio/wp-content/uploads/Storm_Orphans_-_Sweet_Leaf.mp3

RIP Prince The Revolution Will Be Colorized http://alaskabush.com/bushradio/music/the-revolution-will-be-colorized-Prince.mp3

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker is convinced President Donald Trump’s trade war with China is just a negotiating ploy, and every thing will work out fine in the end, an aide said Thursday. […]

    While Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth has been trying to convince Alaskans the state should have no problem gaining legal right to its navigable waters while leaving the federal government […]

The damnest thing happened last month. Seriously (our dog) and I were running trails with a friend and her husky, when we saw a lone black bear. And Seriously walked over and kissed it. WTF, eh? Here’s how it happened. We were on the Campbell Tract trails and stopped to water the dogs by the… […]

My hybrid creative nonfiction work How Mary, Joseph and Jesus F*cked Up My Love Life is up at The Hunger Journal. It’s an odd piece written in an odd style that merges religion with attitudes about sex, desire, loneliness and the rest of that complex and maddening stuff. Here is a sample: Fact: I rode down… […]

This recipe is a wonderful use for all of those extra garden veggies you have this time of year. Tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, celery and anything else you can think of to add to the soup; this recipe is very versatile (and yummy).1 cup chopped onions1 cup chopped celery1 cup chopped carrots2 teaspoons minced garlic2 1/2 cups water2 large tomatoes […]

My list of 10 Best Gifts for Cooks and Food Lovers helps last minute shoppers buy great presents for the food obsessed; most of the items on the list I’ve used and loved for years. Most importantly, if you act quickly, there’s still time to order most of my recommended gifts and have them arrive […]

100 Plus Women Who Care is a group of inspiring women philanthropists who are contributing to the Mat-Su community Source: Welcome

I saw a fantastic picture shared by a teaching friend on Facebook with there and their written neatly with the arrow head for there and the stick figure for their to show the difference and it inspired this coloring page. Turning the apostrophe in they're to an a was my addition. I hope you enjoy […]

The Alaska Way of Life 4-H Club (aka, Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H Club) and Sitka Conservation Society will host a summer harvest camp from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 11, at the Sitka Public Library. The 4-H club members will … Continue reading →

I LOVE my grandmother’s navy bean soup, but it takes forever to make with soaking the beans overnight and then slow cooking the soup all day. I decided to try it in my Instant Pot and it was a success! Not only that, but my kids loved it…score! Ingredients: 1-2 Tbs. olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 […]

Download Radio Show The August 5th show featured a conversation with Kitty LaBounty. We talked about the recent sunny weather and some of her activities this summer. These included a two week vegetation field class that involved travelling the haul … Continue reading →

With about 10 days of mostly sunny and warm dry weather (Sunday excepted, sun-wise), the forecast is finally hinting at an impending change. Despite the call for a chance of drizzle before 1pm, the clouds broke up early this morning … Continue reading →

When something you expect and love (although sometimes you may not know you love it) is absent for a long time you experience great joy in its return. When the rains returned to Hoonah after the second  driest July in 20 years I rejoiced in how quickly it rejuvenated the ecosystem and in the resilience […]

At the end of July we took the boat over to Halibut Cove to hike the Saddle Trail with the kids to picnic at Grewingk Glacier Lake. It's a great trail for kids to master themselves, and Riggs hiked the whole way himself. Raina was in the backpack, but more because we wanted to hike […]

It seems I don't have to travel far to get Alaskan-style excitement these days!Last week, after a day of solid, drenching rain, we went for a walk up our road and walked into a mudslide that had just happened within an hour. A creek that normally goes under the road got plugged with mud and […]

Well, 2017 was not a good garden year in my area, even for those of us with greenhouses/high tunnels.  I'm sure I didn't help my chances at all; we had a month between returning home from the States and getting the roof on the high tunnel, and I didn't start any seeds or work the […]

This recipe for Blueberry Oatmeal Bars makes a 9x13 pan full of Blueberry Bars, perfect for lunches or enjoying with a nice hot cup of coffee. Crunchy bar on the bottom, tempting fruit filling, and a light crumble on top, what could better? The post Blueberry Oatmeal Bars appeared first on Little House Big Alaska. […]

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. “Which road do I take?”, she asked. “Where do you want to go?”, was his response. “I don’t know”, Alice answered. “Then”, said the cat, “it doesn’t matter.” ~ Lewis Carroll It is Christmas day, and I […]

I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not a fan of pink, painting my nails, makeup, cutesy knick-knacks, or chick flicks. So when I look at those “best Christmas gifts for women” lists, there really isn’t much on them I’d actually want to receive for Christmas. I’m just not a girly-girl. I’d rather have […]

A neighborhood house fire displaced several people Monday night. Anchorage Fire Department dispatchers received a 911 call reporting smoke and flames at a home on the 3300 block of Peterkin Avenue at 9:12 p.m. August 13, and crews arrived at the scene four minutes later, according to AFD Assistant Chief Erich Scheunemann. Thirteen apparatus, command […]

Another species of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost large island in South America, is the Austral Parakeet. It’s a cousin the late, lamented Carolina Parakeet, North America’s only native member of the parrot family. The species’ range extends up the coast of Chile. In Tierra del Fuego, it’s a sea level bird, but further north […]

She's 11!  Stacy's birthday fell on a Tuesday this year which is our bible study night.  Our pastor's wife loves to make cakes and had the week off so she asked if she could make a cake for the birthday girl.  Stacy said, "Yes, please!" and Mrs. Debra got right to work.  Another friend made […]

Super fudgy, decadent and chilled brownies that are incredibly addicting,but must be refrigerated for a minimum of 24 hrs to set...Yield: 16 squares Prep: 15 Mins.Bake: 27 to 30 Mins.Cool: 1 Hr.Refrigerate: 24 Hrs.INGREDIENTSBrownie Batter:6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips2/3 cup milk chocolate chips1 cup granulated sugar2 large eggs, […]

All are cooked at the same time in your Instant Pot;an easy recipe to learn to cook three things at the same time...Servings: (4)Prep: 10 Mins.Pressure build: 10 Mins.Cooking Time: 8 Mins. to saute, 13 Mins. under pressure, plus making gravy = 2 mins. longerPressure release: 10 Mins naturally, then 1 Min. quick releaseINGREDIENTSSpice Rub […]

Took a break from novel writing to resupply for the zombie apocalypse. Love this time of year when our flip-flops slap our feet as we amble up and down grocery store aisles, […] The post Threatened & Endangered Species appeared first on Lois Paige Simenson.

[from SAFM cookbook] This wonderful recipe comes directly from I Heart Kale and their blog at http://iheartkale.blogspot.com 3 large red waxy potatoes, very thinly sliced 4 tablespoons melted salted butter 10 leaves kale (the curly-edged green or purple kinds are good here), washed, stemmed and finely chopped freshly ground black pepper 5 tablespoons grated parmesan […]

Welcome to the Friday Frenzy, the Best Food and Craft Link Party on the Web. Why is it the best? We’ll be sharing your posts on Facebook on our new Friday Frenzy page, we invite you to follow the page and share the posts When you link your favorite posts to the Friday Frenzy your […]

This summer of research that we've been pursuing from Galactic was motivated by the collapse of the Pacific cod fishery in the Gulf of Alaska. Our work is aimed at understanding how young fish are faring post-collapse, and thus what the outlook is for recovery of the stock. There's an interesting side to that stock […]

One: I can give up on any notions of self improvement. What I am at this point is what I've got to work with. Two: There could be few finer gifts on the big day than an unexpectedly fast sail along a rugged coast in diamond-sharp sunshine, getting us to our lonely anchorage with plenty […]

In an Anchorage Daily News story Thursday about Chinese attempts to hack Alaska state computers, reporter Alex DeMarban writes:"It is not unique, nor would we draw conclusions about its timing or source," Baird [a spokesperson for Gov. Walker] said. "There is no way to tell if the activity is related to the recent trade mission […]

Alaska's CRIME IN ALASKA 2017:  Uniform Crime Reporting Program Annual Report came out today.  You can get to the whole report  here.  I haven't read through the whole thing, because the first chart was so bad.  I got distracted looking at what was wrong with this chart.Charts are supposed to help visual words or numbers, […]

Today's selection -- from The Shock of the New by Robert Hughes. Cubism was the first radically new type of painting in almost 500 years: "The speed at which culture reinvented itself through technology in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth, seems almost preternatural. Thomas Alva Edison invented the phonograph, the […]

Today's encore selection -- from Garibaldi by Christopher Hibbert. By 1860, Italy had been partially unified under the military leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi. His reputation was so favorable at this point that Abraham Lincoln had offered him command of federal troops in the American Civil War. He turned Lincoln's offer down in part because he discovered that the […]

Custer is supposedly buried in the West Point cemetery. However, no one is certain what remains were eventually recovered from that remote battlefield out west. The battle fascinated both my wife and I. In fact, the very first trip we ever took was driving out west to visit the battlefield. I never quite understood how […]

I’ll try not to give away any spoilers, but just watch episode 1 for the first ten minutes and see what you think. I really enjoyed this 6 episode series set in England and starring Stellan Skarsgard as detective John River with a peculiar psychological problem. I can’t tell you what it is, but it […]

I used to be a camera app junkie. I regularly walked around with half a dozen camera apps on my phone — each of which did one or two things particularly well. I had two apps just for black-and-white work … Continue reading →

If you read or listen to the news in the morning, it’s always distressing to wake up to the reality that Comrade Trump is still POTUS. But lawdy, some days are just more difficult than others. This is one of … Continue reading →

All aboard the music time machine! Continuing the story from 1988. This week my guest is the writer, photographer and blogger, Terri Webster Schrandt.

Looking to save some time when blogging? Try out these five time-saving tips that have helped me recover lots of time I thought I'd lost.

Originally posted on bluebird of bitterness: bluebird of bitterness View original post

on Publishing … and Other Forms of Insanity: If you write poetry, getting published is usually not a problem. The difficulty is getting paid. There are countless venues for poems that pay nothing, or that pay a token fee ($5 – $10). Do not despair, poets! Many magazines are more than willing to pay you […]

i’ll have to take her/his word for it. (the quote below is more my approach to fine.) — ‘Imperfection is fine.” -anna wintour Advertisements

That’s a serious question up there.  If I’m stepping back from writing then there aren’t going to be a lot of weekly goals.  Nothing beyond the basic, which would be sleep, work, eat, and spend time with my son.  That … Continue reading →

Originally posted on Teagan's Books: Saturday, August 18, 2018 Marge Tipton at L.O.L.A. Lola’s Welcome everyone.  You’ve entered my sanctuary.  Today we’re visiting Atonement, Tennessee.  I know it can be hard to find your way around in a fictional town. …

I can’t remember if this is a real movie plot, or if I just want it to be. A man with a boring job is on his way to work when his attention is caught by some unexpected detail in his otherwise familiar routine—a peculiar insect, a pattern in the concrete, a cryptic slogan on […]

My home has never been fuller than it has been this summer. In June, two of my daughters, Kerri and Amie, and their six children combined, plus one of Jessie’s, came for a visit. Yes, all at the same time! I encouraged them to stay here rather than waste money on a hotel. There was […]

Prints available in the shop! I'm in the midst of working on a new book on creativity, and as I've been writing and researching, I've come across so many important benefits that can be achieved when engaging in creative experiences. The list is super long (I'll be exploring them in more detail in the book!), […]

Tis indeed a damnably dismal day here in Ingerlund, in terms of the weather. The sky isn’t just threatening rain, … More

…and still the swans do nothing. I am, it is obvious, no videographer, but this is the breach in the … More

What makes a reader choose one book over another?Disregarding the book's author, most readers look for a specific type of book. They find that book by browsing through bookstores--either online or in a brick-and-mortar store.In browsing for a book to buy, readers are checking 3 elements from book to book: the cover, the tagline, and […]

If you like Samplers--collections of first chapters so you can sample a book before buying it--then you'll love this new FREE Romance Sampler from my friends and I who comprise the blog group, Gems In The Attic.We are all former Kensington authors who wrote for the Precious Gems line. A couple of years ago, we […]

Social Media have become a dominating force in our lives over the past decade.  Just look at these mind-blowing statistics: The average person has 5 social media accounts The average person spends 1 hour 40 minutes per day on social media Facebook has over 1.4 billion users 50% of all Internet users are on Facebook […]

"Jacqueline Cochran was looking for WASP.  They told me I would have to be interviewed and they would contact me when they came to the Wichita area.  But I didn’t wait for that.  I went down to Houston for my interview, to speed things up.  And I think that’s one of the smartest things I […]

"My first flight was with a barnstormer at the age of five.  I loved it!  I also tried to 'fly' out of the barn loft with an umbrella.  This was less than successful..."  WASP Jean Terrell McCreery, 44-10 The indomitable Marguerite Jean Terrell Moreo McCreery has "...slipped the surly bonds of Earth. And danced the skies on […]

Welcome to Episode 54 of the Minstral Show!The Minstral Show is a unique music radio program that not only plays the best music from the mp3 age, circa the year 2000 to present, it also offers a level playing field for Signed, Unsigned and Independent artists by showcasing great songs…it’s a show like no other. […]

In this children’s book, a pet alligator lives in a penthouse apartment. He wants a garden to be on his balcony. One day, he falls off of the balcony to either get at a plant or a balloon animal. (Somehow, … Continue reading →

44 Chapters About 4 Men by BB Easton Narrated by Ramona Master Standalone Embellished Memoir I am now BB Easton’s best friend. She doesn’t know it yet, but it’s true. I can tell by reading this fictionally elaborated memoir that we would have been getting into trouble together if we were the same age and […]

August is a great time of year to go to the farmers’ markets and hit roadside farm stands for fresh vegetables and fruits. It has been so hot and humid in my neck of the woods that salads are the perfect meals. And we all know how important it is to eat your veggies! Here […]

I’m a bit OCD when it comes to numbers. Maybe because I’ve spent the last 25 years of my life working in finance. When I do something and a number is attached, it almost always has to end with a 0 or a 5. If not my eyes start to twitch and my fingers want […]

We are excited to give away an Amazon Gift Card worth $20 to one of our lucky visitors. We will be doing many more of these in the future. This is the first one we have done in a while. To enter, please follow the instructions on the giveaway app below. Good luck! a Rafflecopter […]

We love introducing Instafreebie readers to great stories and big ideas. Take a chance on new authors and try great stories from old favorites. See it first every day with Instafreebie and be free to discover authors you’ll love. We’re thrilled to share the latest and greatest from our teen and young adult genres! Urban Fantasy Starbound […]

November 1938. "Largest smelting furnace in the world. Omaha, Nebraska." Photo by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.

My life, and my house, are both full of kids. I may not always have time to clean or update the décor regularly, but I don’t want our home to look outdated. I’ve found that sturdy furniture with inexpensive accents is the way to stay on top of things. It’s not too expensive to update […]

In the dark pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, 14th June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower, a residential building in West London. By...

Double Bumblebee For more Wordless Wednesday, Click here.

I spend a lot of my time (as you know) working on finding and writing about toxic-free, manufactured industrial products because that’s where most people shop. But for many years now, I’ve actually been living this “other” life that is beyond industrial products. It’s the next level of living toxic-free. Much more difficult and not […]

  Question from Michelle Hi Debra, I ask this question in the light that we are fighting brain cancer. We are also fighting spiders. We have done everything possible around the house-changing lighting cans, switch plates, stuffing windows with molding, diatomaceous earth and we are still getting spiders. I called Ecola and although they pushed […]

Learning how to save broccoli seeds is important for any sustainable gardener. And for many gardeners, now is the time to harvest their broccoli. But if you want to practice sustainable gardening, you’ll want to allow one plant to remain un-harvested. Why? Because broccoli won’t provide you with seeds to collect until after it flowers–and […]

Back to school in the garden Back to school can mean facing a garden full of weeds which means the students will be very busy getting their garden back into shape. You can imagine what a Florida summer with copious amounts of rain can do to a garden bed and if you had no one to tend […]

We all have soapmaking fails. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. On a daily basis I receive emails from readers about problems and questions encountered while making soap. (Currently, I have 70+ of those emails in the queue to answer!) A few months ago […]

​ The classic American breakfast all into one muffin! Just layer the bread, bacon and eggs. They are sure to be a crowd-pleaser! Okay, real talk, guys. How stinking cute are these breakfast cups? I mean, it’s pretty darn cute. And it has everything we need for a classic American breakfast — whole wheat bread […]

Here are today’s five thing to know about Vanilla Custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce (crème anglaise), to a thick pastry cream used […]

That’s right, pre-order the 2019 National Day Calendar now (will ship to you in October 2018), and we will ship 25 Celebrate Every Day stickers to you immediately! Use a marker to write the National Day on the sticker and wear letting others know you celebrate the day!  For more information or to order, click here. Celebrate […]

A fabulous strawberry dessert recipe that’s quick and easy to prepare! This self-saucing Strawberry Crumble is made with a load of fresh strawberries and topped with a streusel-like crumbly topping. That strawberry syrup is...  Read More » The post Strawberry Crumble appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

The Tropic of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent (A Natural History of Dragons Book 2) by Marie Brennan Historical fantasy published by Tor on March 4, 2014 The thrilling adventure of Lady Trent continues in Marie Brennan’s Tropic of Serpents . . . Attentive readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoir, A Natural History of […]

It’s Teaser Tuesday and we are so excited to welcome Elle Wright ALBTALBS with an exclusive excerpt from her contribution to the Decades series! I’ve been looking forward to Elle’s book since I learned she was going to be a part of the Decades project. I’m even more excited that her book takes place in […]

Such a nice location and having the time, I decided to stay an extra day.The dawn's colors were not bad:This allowed me, thanks to Martha for the reminder, that I was a short distance from the small town of Winterset.  It's where John Wayne, one of my favorite actors of all time, was born and […]

Finally got across the long and rather boring state of Nebraska, at least, from the confines one has when transiting the state using the I-80 Superslab!Made it just short of Des Moines before calling it a day in terms of driving.Found a really nice spot among several which were less level, in the paved sites […]

Everyone was aware of the reputation accorded the family known as the Doones, who in the mid seventeenth century lived somewhere on the moors. Most could or would not say exactly where. They were reputed to be a family of … Continue reading →

So, there I am, busily typing away, scheduling posts for the few days I won’t be at the computer much, and WordPress decides to play games. It isn’t enough that I’m still getting to grips with the figures since Facebook … Continue reading →

Some of the world's biggest VIPs walk through the doors of the Pentagon. Did you know you could, too? Read More

The Spanish-American War ended this month 120 years ago. While you might not know what it was about, what we gained from it has been huge. Read More