All The Trees Were Having Sex........

making it really hard for me to breathe. I'd forgotten about the pollen in DC at this time of year, and my allergies were really acting up!



I just returned from the DC area after attending the "Invitational Gathering on North American Indigenous Birthing and Midwifery" sponsored by the Indian Health Service and Health Canada. Approximately 70 midwives from across Canada, the US, and Mexico attended this groundbreaking event. The purpose of our meeting was to share information about our specific programs and practices and to brainstorm ways to return
birth to rural communities. Here in Alaska, as well as on many rural reservations and in rural Canada and Mexico, women must travel hundreds of miles from their families at approximately 36-37 weeks pregnant and wait up to a month or longer to deliver in a hospital setting. The reason for this is that there are no providers of obstetric or midwifery care in their home communities. These women are mostly very low risk. Their absence places a huge strain on their families as they are often not able to bring their other children, their partners must continue to work, and safe childcare is difficult to come by. Loneliness and worry cause additional stress to these women, and many mourn the loss of their children being born 'on their own land'...i.e...'all of my parents and grandparents have been born in Barrow but now my children must be born in Anchorage'. 'We no longer have our roots'..'How can we know where we are going if we don't know where we are from'. This sense of loss and displacement were a theme throughout the meeting. Model programs from Canada (the Nunavik model, the Nunavut model, and the Six Nations Birthing Center) demonstrated successful ways of providing these necessary services as well as training more indigenous midwives. We are now charged with taking up the baton and translating this to a workable model for the Alaska and other US Indian Country communities.

Other speakers at our meeting included Robbie Davis-Floyd (who I've had the privilege to hear speak on 2 other occaisions!) She is such a visionary and her description of "Post-Modern Midwifery in the Age of Technocracy" was very compelling. I was also privileged to hear again one of the women who prompted my initial foray into Midwifery, Ina May Gaskin.


(Yep! Look it's me and Ina May!)

I was incredibly honored to be invited to speak at this meeting. My presentation was well received and garnered several comments and questions afterwards. I truly felt that I was walking amongst the giants of midwifery.

During this program, Rita Pitka Blumenstein (A Tribal Healer and Midwife from Alaska and a woman who I am very honored to be friends with!), Martha Koneak Greig (Inuit traditional midwife and developer of many successful maternal child health programs across Canada) and Beatrice Long Visitor-Holy Dancer (Oglala Lakota midwife and healer and also one of the Thirteen Grandmothers) were honored by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian for their work in women's health and midwifery. It was a beautiful ceremony with drumming and singing and it literally sent chills up and down my spine. The honorees were given beautiful Pendleton blankets along with engraved placques.



After the ceremony Rita (who is also one of the Thirteen Grandmothers) wanted to go out for a lobster dinner so 6 of us piled into a cab and went to the Old Ebbitts Grill where we had a delicious dinner and were entertained quite well by our handsome young waiter. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday as well!


Our meeting was capped on the Thursday with a round table discussion on 'Women's Ways of Knowing: Lessons from Indigenous Midwifery Traditions' again at the National Museum of the American Indian. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this incredible museum, I would urge you all to go and spend a day. It is a wonderful peek into the people and cultures and beliefs of our native ancestors. And the building itself is an architectural masterpiece.







There were only a few hours of knitting during this trip. I was able to take the Metro and a short shuttle to within a half mile of WoolWinders in Rockville, MD. Luckily I went on Thursday evening, the store's knit&w(h)ine night! Within 5 minutes of entering the store (whilst perusing the large selection of Colinette and Malabrigo) Jackie the owner offered me a glass of merlot...I said 'heck yeah, who in their right mind would turn down a glass of wine?" to which she replied "my sentiments exactly, honey, you're gonna fit right in here!" After making a few purchases of mmmmMalabrigo and a Dale pattern booklet, I settled right in and knitted and chatted with the regulars. I made quite a bit of progress on Soleil in a straw colored silk/viscose blend (Katia's 'Fanny'). Three hours and many laughs later, Jackie dropped me off right at the metro.


I was back at home late on Friday. I just have to show you the beautiful sign Grandma Clara made to welcome me home!

Isn't that the sweetest thing you ever saw!

I've spent the rest of the weekend doing laundry, catching 3 new babies (overnight call Saturday night/Sunday morning), and packing for my next trip to leave for the villages of Mentasta and Chistochina this afternoon. Right now, I'm waiting for 10am when the 2nd round of Elton John tickets go on sale. This is Elton's first concert in Alaska and as the 8,000 tickets for the original concert on May 28th were sold out in 53 minutes, he has generously added a second concert on May 30th. I'm crossing my fingers that we'll get on board this time! The last 'Big Name' concert (of my generation anyway) was Rod Stewart...over 10 years ago! The man and I are working 2 computers and 2 telephones to try for tickets. Wish me luck!

ETA: WE GOT 'EM! Whoohoo! Elton John Tickets for May 30th! I. AM. SO. STOKED!!!!

I'll be out of touch again now for another week. Don't think there will be easy internet access out in the village. However, the slower pace will certainly enhance the knitting time ahead so look for another couple of FOs next weekend. Until then blogbuddies.....




Knit On!

Forest Canopy is Blocking

But first, a word from our sponsor...


Isn't she sweet? And yes, so spoiled! She's allowed to sit on the man's computer desk..and yes..she plays with his mouse.


Here is the blocked out Forest Canopy (Susan P. Lawrence pattern) in all it's stretched out glory. Wet blocked, she's measuring 100" wingspan and 44" from neck to bottom point.



Another shot before she took her dunk. Look at how those colors glow in the sunshine.


Packing like a mad woman. Catching a plane at the buttcrack of dawn for our nation's capitol. Will try to check in from time to time next week, but if you don't see me around...don't worry! Until next time...KNIT ON!

Prom Pics

Otherwise known as "how to made a barrel racin', horse lovin' tomboy look like a lady!"

Prom was last Friday night for the girl. She went with a group of friends and didn't decide on going until just a few days beforehand. Luckily we had foofy dresses from balls and banquets past. One of her friend's sister does hair, and the girl got her very first 'updo'.

Look at that cascading mass......


Can't tell here if she's secretly happy about the hair or just annoyed at the whole process.....


The end product....two beautiful horsey girls...my girl's in black! They look so young and yet so very grownup at the same time!


Kelsey's (in blue) parents drove them to dinner, dance and picked them up afterwards (during our record breaking 22" spring snowstorm). Good times were had by all!

MAKE. IT. STOP!

I felt so productive yesterday. Cleaned out over half the perennial beds, saw lots of green growing things poking their little leaves out. This morning, though, the sky was overcast. I left for work around 10:30ish to start seeing patients around 12:00. There were a few little 'flurries'....I wouldn't even acknowledge it as snow.
Sadly though, 5 hours and 16 patients later...this is what I saw when I left the office......
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This is my truck...that I had to dig out.....


And this is my garden...you saw the pics yesterday...see where I left the rake and the fertilizer watering can...


uh huh...I am SO OVER winter. I just want to cry.

Whassup?

I took a day of personal leave this week to haul the Grannymeister around for her prosthodontics appts. (denture realignment) and to make sure the corporation doesn't start cashing out my leave. Hate that. With taxes it really is so very not worth it. I accrue 5 hrs. paid leave each week now. How crazy is that? Seriously I could just work 35 hr weeks from now on out and get full salary..or..as I've tried to schedule it, 1a week off out of every 2 months...but sometimes it's nice just to have the extra time. I've had 3 straight days off in a row, I have a half day of clinic tomorrow, then an overnight L&D as midwife du jour (or nuit as it were) then back to 2 full clinic days and 2 L&Ds next week.

How did I spend my time other than with the Grannymeister? Weeeellll...I've worked on and frogged a few rows of the Forest Canopy.


Gosh I love this yarn, so very very autumnal!

I worked on Haiku in Plymouth Jellybean for Miss Kate's 3rd birthday. (Kate is the daughter of one of my backup OBs. Despite all efforts, she just happened to be born by C-Section on MY birthday...so she's my forever birthday buddy. Easy pattern and the Jellybean is fun to work with. Being 3yrs old...pinkandpurple is her favorite color. And she LOVES to wear sweaters.


I decided to try something new and purchased a new knitting book, needles, and yarn
(hey it's sock yarn so it doesn't count..right?)


I watched "Juno" with DD. A really lovely movie about a pragmatic pregnant teen. If you have a teen at home, I encourage you to watch it with them...and discuss!

I meandered outside a bit and cleaned out one of the perennial beds. Can you believe how much greenery is showing after just 48 hrs of warm(er) weather? I wore SHORTS and SANDALS today (hey, it was in the high 50s!)


For comparison, here's the same bulb from yesterday 24 hrs after the last shot! Yeah, we're full daylight until around 10pm now.


I finished reading "Someone Knows My Name" by Lawrence Hill. Excellent read. Highly recommend it to anyone.

DH has PROM tomorrow night. OMG! Emergency mission to Fred Meyers for pink sparkly eyeshadow and charcoal sparkly eyeshadow and pink iridescent nail polish. I drew the line at haircolor though...she's only a sophomore and her last dye job (rich dark auburn) still looks fine. She's going with a group of horsey friends. Her first prom...I'm so verklempt!

Gratuitous Bella Blue photo from today. Hey Minnie...Siamese are notoriously doglike. She plays fetch. She carries her toys around in her mouth. She is constantly following me or the girl around.


And lastly, here's darling old girl Tallula! I never can take a good picture of her but I guess all the photo gods were smiling today.


Thanks everyone for all the wonderful support and comments from post before last. I've replied to some of you individually, but remember, I have no social skills cuz I was raised by wolves and all. So even if you don't get a personal message back from me, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate and HEART you all! Well, it's just about time for dinner. Tonight I made lemon-garlic turkey tenderloin with pea salad and cantaloupe slices on the side.

Until next time...Knit On!

Spring has Sprung in Alaska!

Gratuitous kitten photo to start with though....just cuz she's so very photogenic. I have NOTHING to show in the knitting dept. today. Still slogging through the last bit on the Forest Canopy Shawl. Hope to finish tonight and block tomorrow. I will definately be gifting this one to my good friend MK for her upcoming birthday!

The conference last Friday went well. I did feel somewhat disgruntled though. During my opening speech and the speaker introductions and somewhere between the techy troubleshooting stuff, I looked out into the audience and saw LOTS of knitting going on...and because I was so dang busy...was able to knit not one stitch myself. Oh well. Soooon though, very very sooon, I'll have big blocks of knitting time.

The weather has been stellar the past few days. It hit 60 degrees on my deck today...57 degrees per the bank thermometer in town....gorgeous blue skies...lots and lots of sunshine. I can feel my poor Vitamin D depleted body soaking in the rays to make more of this vital hormone/vitamin ;0 aaaahhhh! And look, in the garden....the BULBS (and other things) are bursting through everywhere!


But along with leaves and greenery...the rapid snowmelt brings MUDSEASON! THIS

is my driveway today...talk about messy...I'll be throwing straw down to soak up the water/mudbog over the next few days.

I'm on day 2 of my 3 in a row days off (yay!) laundry is caught up....grocery shopping is done. Tomorrow, clean out the flower beds.

Here's another uber cute pic today of the rapidly growing Miss Bella Blue. She is such a character!


Until next time...Knit happy!

Is it just me.....Long Boring Meandering

Or is everyone feeling totally in a crappy mood these days? I'm being polite in public but honestly i want to drop the 'f-bomb' with every other word right now. grrrrr...

1) I am feeling bored with blogging right now. I wrote a post a week ago, or rather, started a post a week ago...but EVEN I got bored reading it!

2) I want the romance back....the excitement of waiting for those comments after unfurling a new project for display..or the commiseration from all the knitbuds when good yarn goes horribly wrong. What happened? Was it Ravelry? I admit, I've been cheating around on this blog. I make comments in the groups i'm in...check new patterns, etc. It's exciting over there. There are NEW PATTERNS! And old patterns done in new yarns...and yarns I have that had no purpose, or had been depurposed now had hope and inspiration going for them. And the new faces and new "friends" from all over the world holy cow...and their pictures...and projects..and stashes and blogs...No wonder I've spent so much time away.

Yet, here is my own coming home sweet loyal blog. Taking whatever pictures and tidbits of life thrown her way. Demanding little in return. Tour of the sidebar, I read the Knitbuds and make a few comments here and again. I stop by my first regular pusher..Elann.com...lurk in the chatroom, make an occaissional comment..and then sneak off into the night..back to the siren that is Ravelry.

Not to mention other distractions.

3) Last Thursday night in L&D I had 8 babies during my 12hr (extended to 14 1/2 hr just to finish all the paperwork) overnight call. I caught 7 of them myself...the first two while another went to C-Section.

The C-Section was a first time mom who'd pushed for 3 hrs. Baby was direct OP (facing mom's pubic bone instead of the normal facing mom's bottom position). Most of the time these babies turn during pushing. Lots of times they are born face-up without difficulty..(except the dreaded back labor). Sometimes we midwives or docs can 'spin' the baby with position changes and manual pressure upwards on baby's head. And then again, sometimes it just doesn't work and it's time to say 'when' before baby gets punky.

The rest were easy normal uncomplicated deliveries. Two women were complete upon arrival in triage. In fact, we had to close one of the inner triage doors and just catch a quickie in the private triage room. Nice busy evening. I was very sore and tired for the next few days.

Had another lovely day with a 'Hypnobirthing' first timer who I'd seen in clinic occaisionally. Gorgeous spirit renewing birth.

I am so fortunate to be able to make my living from one of my passions. And to recognize my need to 'write a bit' which is sometimes my blogging, to sort out the stressors and emotions and put things back into perspective.

4) The weather in Anchorage has been miserable. We have had record late snowfall. So freaking depressing. In fact last night...we got SIX MORE INCHES of snow at my house...after just fighting through ALMOST A FOOT OF NEW SNOW last week. The sun has peaked out twice with brightness and melting warmth...and THEN EVERYTHING FREEZES again overnight. Sometimes I lose my patience with the place I love. Guess it's just like some of those times in married life.

5) Speaking of which. Bets termed DH "Dead Man Walking". Why? do you ask. Remember my Bed and Breakfast pullover. Finally finished up less than a month or so ago AFTER 2 YEARS AS A WIP. Gorgeous, well fitting, perfect color, cabley goodness. Yes, that one.
Helpful dear that he is....accidently....washed it with red towels. lots of 'em. in hot water. Gone is the gorgeous stitch definition...flat and subtle bumps where exuberent cables used to play. Just an FYI, elann.com's Sierra Aran felts very very well. The sweater would fit a six year old...if a six year old would wear 3/8" thick felt that can stand up by itself.

Yes. There were tears. Yes. Mean things spewed from my mouth. High drama at the midwife's house.

Maybe later I'll cut it up and sew up a nice felted bag out of it and wear it all the time or use it for a knitting bag or something just as a nice reminder. There will be retail therapy for this one. Oh yeah.

6) Teen angst. Gag. Demon child/Angel child. I love her, it's motherhood. Not the job of your dreams but I think you just have to savor the sometimes few and far between good bits at certain points and know that in a day/week/month/year or two the lightbulb will go on and the person you know love admire respect and see on occaission is still there and will ultimately return fulltime. And sometimes you just have to smile over gritted teeth. I'm lucky. No 'real problems'. But gosh can't they just tear your heart up sometimes! Makes me regret all over again some of the things I did when I was her age...not realizing how worried and helpless my own mom must have felt.

7) Our annual AK Chapter of the ACNM annual education conference is this Friday. I've been on the planning committee for this for the past 4 years. This year it was myself and 2 other women..that's it. And honestly...the amazing Sarah T, CNM was the driving force behind assuring everything was done. I still have to drop off 2 of the speaker's vested interest forms to the Nurse's Association office to finalize the number of CEUs we'll receive. I'm still waiting for 5 out of the 6 speaker's notes/slides for the syllabus that I need to drop off and have copied and comb or spiral bound tonight to pick up tomorrow. I need to pick up speaker honorarium and gift cards. And candies for the snack bowls on the tables. And water bottles. And flowers for the podium and sign in tables. And confirm the technology list with the conference facility. And pick up the door prizes. And make sure Yolanda brings posters and tickets to sell for our sponsored showing of "The Business of Being Born" (available now on Netflix folks..or in Anchorage at the Bear Tooth...locals, let me know if you want tickets for 5/13..$3.00). I have no freakin' idea what I'm going to wear yet and I have to introduce folks and make a little opening statement. Gag. Ok Breathe...Oh, yeah, did I mention, I'm on overnight at the hospital tonight. Gotta ramp up with some caffein here I guess.

8) Next week, I need to work on my poster and presentation. What's this? I've been invited to attend an International Gathering on Rural Indigenous Midwifery (US & Canada) in Rockville, MD...just a stone's throw away from our nation's capital. I'll be there 5 days and will attend numerous discussion groups, conferences, presentations and information gathering sessions with midwives from all across North America. I feel so honored to be a part of this. You just can't imagine. I am traveling in elite company. Our tribal doctor, Rita Pitka Blumenstein, will be with us. She is one of the Thirteen Grandmothers. Legendary and highly honored Alaska CNM, Marilyn Pierce-Bulger is one of the facilitators. Margaret Baldwin, CNM...developer of the Rural Maternal Child Health Health program for Alaska Natives..sending CNMs from ANMC to rural and remote villages to provide prenatal and women's/infant's health care and education in an adjunct to the Community Health Aide services provided. Joan Koval, CNM will be presenting on Hypnobirthing... classes she offers through our Women's Health Clinic, and I'll be showing off the integrated services model of prenatal and primary care I developed within the substance abuse and mental health treatment program I worked at for more than 7 years. I'm excited to go. It will get me out of town...which I feel like I desperately need right now. And travel knitting time. Love it!

9) The week right after I get back from Rockville, I have my first village travel. Initially, I was supposed to go to Sand Point...waaaaay out on the Aleutian chain...small aircraft...lots of weather. I have airsick issues anyway. When colleague Sarah T. said she was ready for a little adventure and would I be interested in swapping villages...hers were Mentasta and Chistochina...remote..but on the road system, I knew immediately that the right answer was HECK YEAH! So I'll be on a road trip! YAY! Lots and lots of knitting time!

10) The remodel is coming along sooooo....sllllloooooowwwlly..but things are starting to get a little exciting. No pics yet but sooon dahlings soooon.

11) Knitting: Still workin on the Forest Canopy Shawl...have more than 250 stitches on the needles...want a BIG shawl....will be winding down soon I think. Only had to tink back and reknit 4 rows and had no lifeline but threaded my size 1 47" KPO needle through a safe row and it was easy peasy...even through over 240 stitches!

12) The SWEETEST package came in the mail yesterday from blogless candeedarling from the sweets swap on Ravelry. My package is winging it's way to France! I will get photos as soon as I can stop shoving caramels into my mouth. She sent me corn yarn too. Maizy sock yarn..she's just the sweetest.photos to come, honest.

13) Well if you made it this far you are truly a trooper. I'll try to post some photos after this weekend. I feel a bit better now. This blogging post let me vent a bit, organize my thoughts a bit, and realize that honestly, even though gas is over $3.50/gallon here...things could be a helluva lot worse....and it's just life in general! I'm gonna go play with the kitten. And you should go to YouTube and watch THIS!

I'll truly try to post some pics soon! Thanks for reading and all your comments are sincerely appreciated! Knit on.