One of the joys of living where we do at the base of the Talkeetna Mountain range is the ability to live a "farm to table" lifestyle.  We never cease to be amazed at how quickly things grow with longer summer hours (quickly slipping by). And, dip-netting on the Kenai or Kasilof salmon (each household can dip for free, 25+ salmon, depending on size of family - we can get 37) plus moose and caribou, we feel blessed.

Each year, weather patterns dictate  which crops may do better than others. This year, we have a bumper crop of chickweed (grrr!), as convection thunderstorms have poured rain in the evenings - the upside is Bill has hardly had to water! Last summer with record heat, he spent HOURS watering! 

We have softball size kohlrabi, wonderful dicon radishes, zuchinni and cabbage. And RHUBARB...lots of thubarb - which means new culinary creations from Bill! He has designed rhubarb artichoke heart dressing, cinnamon rhubarb, and gallons of wonderful rhubarb juice that we can store for use all year round. 

The raspberries - both red and golden have done incredibly well. We are picking the reds, and the golden raspberry that had doubled were "almost" ready....until the "visitors" arrived.

SERIOUSLY? 

Yep - all's we could do was watch the Sand Hill Cranes as they shook each bush and ate every berry that was ready. We tried chasing, we tried yelling at them. we even tried covering - all to no avail, because as soon as you turned your back, they found a way into them.

Guess you can say we are doing our part to feed the local wildlife that makes Alaska so special.  Let's just hope the moose won't have an extra pea pod flavor to them this year!! 

Reprinted at request of several friends (original was an email) 

​As I was reflecting thinking how unusual it will be for so many to not celebrate and partake of the remembrance of the very core of our faiths - both for Passover and Easter,, I got thinking about the very first Easter...

The disciples were ‘social distancing’ themselves per se. They away from the crowds/their families, trying to take in The Last Supper, the foot- washing, wrapping their heads around one of their own falling from grace and betraying Jesus.

They were reeling from the horror of the walk to Golgotha, watching  the vile actions of those who literally knew Him not. The earth trembled. Then silence.

Up against all the unknowns,  trying to comprehend the repercussions, they stayed ‘home’...versus being out and about. Agonizing thoughts, ashamed of their inaction, they sat in what they thought was ‘aloneness.’

But how far from reality...God had His Master Plan already drawn up.

It would be up to each of us, consciously and individually - on how/when/what form  we would take to walk out HIS plan. He KNEW His faithful would choose correctly (even if we are FAR from perfect!)

And so, this Holy weekend and beyond, we answer His individual call on our personal life.

Far from perfect, yet NEVER alone the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are with and in us - and are an overwhelming majority.

What we do, what we say and who we are will touch others in ways we may never, ever know, this side of Heaven.

Our prayers are heard - for ourselves, our family and our friends. And, while others we so deeply care about may not “do” or “act” or “live out” in the way WE wish they would, God’s loving grace, mercy and peace are over them. Our prayers bring them to the Throne as we continue to stand in the gap for them, just as He has done with and for US, knowing their battle is not ours to fight for them, but it IS our call to cover them in prayer, to “BE” who He has asked each of us to be.

He asks us to take Him at His Word and BELIEVE GOD - not just to BELIEVE “IN” Him.

His plans never fail, His timing is ever perfect because God is in ALL the details, ALL the time.

Blessings and s’mores this Holy Week

 I paused for a moment in my quiet time this morning.  My eyes fell upon a sign that a dear friend gave to me. In my pause, I pondered about the saying that was on the plaque. I dad had one of those "I should of had a V-8" or as my kids would say a "DUH -mom"  moment."

The sign says:  "We'll always be best friends because you know too much."

My V-8/mom- moment? When it occurred to me that GOD knows me better that ANYONE, and that while He knows everything, I don't have to, for He will keep me in the "need to know" loop as needed,

I think that's a wise place to be - don't you? 

Forty years ago a friend from church showed us the clay manger scene above as she removed it from the kiln.  The magnificent work was  to be  displayed at a local art gallery.   

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I saw how Mary held Jesus as Joseph, the angels, wise men and yes, even a camel,  gazed upon the holy moment. ​ It  reflected and epitomized the very essence of motherhood as Mary tenderly held and cuddled her wee one, holding him close to her heart. As a new mom, getting ready to celebrate our Jamie's first Christmas, I was overwhelmed with the holy scene.

I couldn't stop looking at the display. Oh how I wished we had the financial resources to purchase it, yet I knew there would be no possible way. After all, it was a gallery piece, and we were still young marrieds with an infant. Need I say more? 

Imagine my utter surprise Christmas morning when I walked out to the living room.  There, underneath our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree was the manger scene I that had so moved me. The artist added a  camel for Jamie to commemorate her first Christmas.

To this day I still can't believe how Bill had kept the gift a secret (or that I hadn't figured he had something up his sleeve!) He had seen how deeply touched I had been when our friend showed it to us, fresh out of the kiln.  He  stealth-fully spent several evenings and weekends prior to Christmas cutting and stacking cords of firewood, bartering with our artist  friend,  so he could purchase it..  

Forty years later, I am still moved. We keep the manger scene out all year as a reminder that Christmas is every day and  to stop and reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas:

Reflections of love. 

A mother's love. 

A husband's love. 

A friend's love. 

But most of all, the love of God, the Father, sending His only begotten son down to Earth so that we may have life...Eternally. 

As we spend time reflecting this holiday season -   we pray each of you may feel and see the blessing and true Reason for the Season - the glorious gift that arrived as a baby, who brings us  Peace, Joy and Life. 

The photo that you see is a tree that came crashing down, falling across our river,  hours after I had been sitting where you see my camp chair.  It sums up how the last four months have been going for us!!  The hits just keep coming!! 

First, Jamie, our daughter broke her leg in 6 places the day before her 40th birthday. One short month later, she and her 23 week old unborn daughther unexpectedly passed away.

At the time, I was well into my yearly cancer and orthopedic follow-ups.
Cancer??  Ten years since my colon cancer diagnosis. While there is still a 'mysterious' mass lurking in my transverse colon, the doctors are in the midst of watching and re-staging the cancer.  The good news?? TEN YEARS!!

Orthopedic? The back, neck and leg bionics checked out. Unfortunately, the plate and 10 screws R upper arm hardware was failing. The "plan"  was to remove the hardware, and replace them with a "reverse" total shoulder replacement. 

ME? Have a surgery go NORMAL?! NOT!  First, there was no deltoid muscle to be found. Solution? Plan B: put in a "old-fashioned" total shoulder replacement with a lonnng arm. What was to be an hour and a half surgery ended up to be five. ..and a lot of blood loss.  Onto the next plan...

Plan C:  Take me to Jiffy Lube and give me a couple pints of blood. Easy-peasey, right? NOT!!  I had a reaction that won me a ticket to full cardiac work-up, CT and MRI. The doctors thought I might have suffered a stroke or seizure. We STILL don't know "what" happened.   BUT!!  If my orthopedist had NOT ordered the MRI, they would NOT have found my new "brain buddy" (tumor) who has taken up residence at the base of my skull over the occipital-parietal region.  Enter another new plan.

Plan D:  I will have a craniotomy/ open brain surgery on November 8. The neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists (my NEW friends!!) agree that since we don't know "what" the tumor is (a metastasis from cancer or a meningioma and if "it" is benign or malignant), it is too large for just Cyber-Knife radiation. 

Plan E? I think we call that "Entering the world of unknowns."  No idea how long the surgery will be.  No idea how long I will be in the hospital. Or if I'll need rehab. No idea of side effects (possible visual loss in right sides of both eyes? More neuropathy? Flare-up due to swelling of brain and symptoms from first brain surgery in 2001 show up (speech/balance/memory problems) or MAYBE NOTHING!!  

Just wanted to let you know I'm still here - but if I don't blog for awhile, you'll know what I'm up to and  I'll see you here, there or In the Air!  Thanks for your continued love, prayers and support! 

OH!! I almost forgot!!  I finished the manuscript FINALLY!  It's at my editor's as I type, so prayerfully you will see  Don't Wimp Out! Finding Faith, Courage and Victory in Life's Daily Battles in print in 2020!! Stay tuned!!

 I have a friend, Cayman, who is in his twenties. He is a wonderful young man, with contagious joy and the gifts of compassion, mercy and helps. The picture he drew for me says all I needed to hear - especially the day it arrived. He drew it after seeing a photo of Jamie from the program at her Celebraion of Life. He caught the very essence of Jamie. I am so grateful for the abilities God blessed Cayman, including autism,  and that he uses them. . . 

​For those of you who have not heard, I am sorry to have to share this via a post. Thanks to all of you who sowed so much into not only Jamie's life, but into Jeff, Scott, Samantha and our lives these past short 40 years. 

Jamie Marie (Tuk) Casey, 40, and unborn baby girl, passed away at their Chugiak, Alaska, home on Monday morning, June 24, 2019, as a result of a heart attack. She was born on May 25, 1979, in Enumclaw, Wash., to Bill and Care Tuk. She married her soul mate, Jeff Casey, on Nov. 9, 2013. Jeff and Jamie have two children, Scott (4) and Samantha (2). Jamie's favorite part of life was being a devoted loving wife and mother.
Full of compassion for the outdoors, hiking, gardening, reading and football, she lived her life to the fullest. Her talent for cooking showed with Jeff's pant size. She loved going on adventures and taking pictures of her children. Jamie spent summers living out of their camper close to Jeff's work to keep her family together and their marriage strong. Those who knew Jamie knew she was truly remarkable; beautiful, quiet, kind, gentle, talented, giving and loving, she touched many lives. She was a caring daughter to her parents, that helped inspire her joys in life, and a sister that adored her little brother.
Jamie graduated with honors from Riverside High School in Chattaroy, Wash., attending Spokane Community College and UAA. She worked at Family Pharmacy and Fred Meyers and Carrs Pharmacy in Alaska before becoming a mom, choosing to spend her time at home with greatest loves.
Jamie is survived by her husband, Jeff; and children, Scott and Samantha; her parents, Bill and Care Tuk of Wasilla, Alaska; brother, Timothy Tuk of Wasilla; and Wrigley, her dog; as well as numerous, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and many dear friends. She was predeceased by her grandparents, Bill and Yvonne Tuk and Bob and Betty Dressel.
In lieu of gifts or flowers, a donation can be made to the family to be put into a fund for Scott and Samantha. Celebration of Life was held Monday, July 1, 2019.