For the longest time, when things got stressful, I have threatened my family with moving to Alaska and raising ducks.  Alone.  By myself.  Just me… and the ducks.

Yes, I’ve lived in Alaska.  I know how cold it is.  As far as my tumultuous childhood is concerned, it was a great year.  I don’t remember much about my family life, but I do remember living on the banks of Salmon Creek, an abandoned gold mine a short walk away, blueberries by the pound,  a bear or two in said bushes, and panning for gold.   The star of the basketball team, Mark Kelly asked me to be a cheerleader.  I’m not really the cheerleader type now, but I always imagined if we hadn’t moved, how my life might have been different if I could have become the cheerleader type.  Whatever that means.  Better somehow.  But we did move.

Raising ducks in Alaska is my mythical, make it all better place.  Emphasis on mythical.  Can you even raise ducks in the wild?   I know it wouldn’t be all that great in reality terms.  I might get lonely eventually, but it would be nice to try for a bit – with a return plane ticket in hand.

It’s been a stressful day.  Can you tell?

The highlight:  I’ve joined an art journaling group.  I’m looking forward to the community and accountability.  It’s too easy to let the artistic me fade into the background…talk about adding stress!

By the way, I did coach cheer for my daughter’s homeschool football team cheer squad last year.  How did it go?  Let’s just say that it’s a good thing I have other gifts.   I did okay except for the whole jumping, perky, smiling, rhythm, dancing, cheering part.