Moving Day!

Life has been crazy busy for the past week or so. Getting back into the routine of school after Goose Break was hard for the kids and attendance was still pretty spotty last week. I spent much of my week planning for the coming weeks and slowly starting to pack up my classroom for cleaning this summer. My evenings were pretty preoccupied with packing my house and taking car loads at a time of boxes to my new house a few minutes away.

I had the opportunity to move to a bigger, newer house up the road which after some debate, I took. I am all settled in after a long week and weekend of moving, unpacking, cleaning and setting up. I have all my pictures on the wall, laundry done, chachkies on display and have spent the first night in my new home! It is probably 3 times the size of my old place on Beaver Road which is fantastic for someone who owns SO MUCH STUFF like me, but also sucky because it there is so much more to clean! However, it is brighter, newer, no mold, 2 bedrooms, an open concept living room, kitchen and dining area and best of all there is a wood burning stove! Awesome! I can't wait to use it in the winter. I also have a nice big deck the wraps around the front and side of the house, a large supply of cut firewood thanks to the previous owners, a place to put my BBQ (newly acquired, best investment of my life!) and a beautiful private backyard. There is, however, a treehouse to the side of my yard which I found out I have a perfect view of when I STEP OUT OF THE SHOWER so I am either going to have to sadly tear it down (I also want to avoid having to be the first responder to a broken neck/skin tear from a rust nail situation) or leave it up and risk the kids from all over the town seeing my goodies when I forget to close the curtains (bound to happen at least once!!).

I am also taking off back to Ontario this week to participate in my friend's wedding! I am a bridesmaid and while I am only in town for the weekend, I plan on making the most of it!! I am super excited to have an awesome time at this wedding and plan on partying like its 1999 at the reception. I fly back on Sunday afternoon, spend the night in Montreal and will make it back to Wemindji and RIGHT back to work Monday afternoon! It is going to be a long week but the countdown is on for the last day of school. It will be a mad dash to fit all the rest of the curriculum in while we also conduct some Cree School board standardized tests during class time over the next 2 weeks. We shall see just how far we get but I have some really fun Fairy Tale stuff planned so I hope to get to it!

Otherwise things are generally the same. It is still very frosty but some nice temperatures are predicted this week so I hope to get the class outside for some deserved fresh air after their tests.

Last week the school and community also celebrated Annie Whiskeychan Day which is a day that recognizes the efforts and contributions to Cree Language and Culture of a now-deceased Cree Language activist. The school worked hard to set up a nice display of Cree culture through children's dancing, teepee building, a walking out ceremony, cooking and feasts. I was able to witness the Walking Out Ceremony for 3 children of the community. The Walking Out Ceremony is supposed to celebrate the first steps a child takes on the Earth as they exit a teepee in traditional dress with their parent. Until that moment, children are either too young to walk or walk on protected ground (the daycare actually has a wooden structure built to elevate the children from the Earth so they don't take their first official steps on Earth until the ceremony.) There is a mock hunt where the children (sometimes still very young) pretend to shoot a goose and then pass cigarettes and candy around to the crowd (cigarettes, LOL I KNOW). Anyways it was really adorable to watch and even the dead geese being propped up, while revolting, was cool. The geese are propped up on sticks and a piece of twine is tied to them and when the child pretends to shoot the goose, the father or family member will pull the cord and the goose will fall. Super cute.

Anyways, overall an eventful and busy week and I can't wait to come home to Oakville and celebrate my lovely, beautiful friend Clair and her man Ryan's wedding. Enjoy the pictures!

My new school jacket! It also says my name in Cree on the arm

Morning of Annie Whiskeychan Day

The day's schedule

 A regular old Swiss Chalet up in this teepee!

 Carmen thoroughly disgusted by the goose being speared!

 A bebe walking out!

 Girl's night of creeping on Facebook

 A neat shot of Wemindji stolen from somebody's facebook

 A hare on my front lawn!

 At first glance it looks like a lake of geese.  But in fact it is a lake full of DECOYS. Mission accomplished, I was fooled!

 My new house!

 Kitchen/dining room!

 Living room!

 My wood buring stooooooove!

 Snow. AGAIN

Aaaaaaand we're back.

So Goose Break has come and gone.  It felt long to be honest, but the 2 day drives back to and from Southern Ontario really did me in.  I left in a convoy of vehicles on Friday April 26th immediately after the bell rang at noon.  We drove pretty much straight through to Amos that day (about 8 hours) and stayed the night in the good ol' Amosphere.  I shared a room with Monika and got dibs on the hilariously cool hide-a-bed complete with mood lighting.  It was something to write home about.  The we left early the next morning and with typical 400-401-427-403-QEW traffic, we made it home in about 10 hours. Not being used to bumper-to-bumper traffic, I almost killed Monika and I twice but what's life without a little thrill!?!

I spent the next two weeks shopping, shipping, hanging out, seeing family and trying to catch up on my sleep (not possible it turns out.)  I also spend an astronomical amount of money on my little green machine (new brakes, new seat belts etc etc.) but got a very good deal at Preferred Muffler compared to what the evil Toyota dealership was trying to charge me.  NICE TRY BUDDY. I may not know A THING about cars but I do know when I am being ripped off. 

It was really nice to catch up with friends and family and I managed to squeeze some sunburn time in as well, oh joy! I am going to look SPLENDID in the strapless dress I am wearing for my friend Clair's upcoming nuptials.  I am hoping to even out my "bib" burn this weekend with the predicted warm, sunny weather we will get up here!! (Fingers crossed).

Another fun and exciting thing that happened was I got a tattoo!! I have always wanted to get something to remember my father by (he died of cancer May 10th 2007) but I couldn't decide where or what.  Once I began working here I saw that the Cree written language, known as syllabics, was really neat looking and now held significance for me.  So I decided to have a trustworthy Cree teacher write out my dad's name, Michael, in Northern Cree syllabics (Carmen then took the paper around the school and had it verified haha) and I got it tattooed on the back of my left shoulder.  I went to Nick at Way Cool Tattoos in Oakville and he did an amazing job.  It was my first tattoo and I wasn't totally sure what to expect pain wise but it was pretty manageable.  It helped that it only took about 20 minutes so there wasn't much time for me to complain haha!! Anyways, it is healing nicely and I am trying to take good care of it so it doesn't fade or rub off and I am left with some completely different word like "crap donkey" instead of "Michael".

After 2 nice weeks in the sunshine I was ready to go back to my routine and my kids.  I am totally spoiled by having my own home and living out of a suitcase was a little annoying but at least I had a bed to come home to!  I got to spend some really nice quality time with my mom and family and for that I am grateful. 

The drive back was pretty nice as well however not without it's own drama!  The day before we left we heard reports of washouts on the James Bay Highway that closed down the roads completely in some cases.  Luckily the washouts were repaired by the time we got there.  We left southern Ontario after a delicious "last meal" of EXCELLENT sushi (FYI I now eat raw salmon. I know, this coming from a girl who pukes at the sight of onions and tomatoes). Arriving in Amos again on Saturday night we had a quick bite at the ever-reliable Mike's and straight to bed.  The next morning it was SNOWING huge chunks of slushy snow which made visibility really poor and we had to drive quite "slow" for the first couple of hours.  After that the clouds parted and we were sailing.  We made it home to Wemindji at about 6 and I quickly unpacked and went to bed.  I am still not fully recovered from the lack of sleep the days before leaving and the draining drive but I am glad to be home, back in the classroom and back into my routine.

Don't worry too much though Oakville, I will be back at the end of the month to be a bridesmaid in my aforementioned friend's wedding, a quick weekend trip!

PS!! I am famous!! Actually, Wemindji is and I am famous for a split second.  The CBC came and did a story on the success of Northern Quebec Cree communities.  Very informative and you get to see where I live and work!!  Go Cree Nation of Wemindji!

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2385270324/

and the accompanying article:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2013/05/14/pol-james-bay-cree-northern-quebec-attawapiskat.html

Enjoy!

 Snacks for the road!

 Can't see it too well, but - leaving on time, early even! 11:57 on Friday April 26th

 Access road

 My super-sweet hide-a-bed

 Brandi behind me

 Civilization Burgers!

 Ugh.  Traffic

 BOBO!

 Ahh, home sweet home.

 Brand new seatbelts!

 Beautiful Oakville weather

 CHARCOAL FOR MY NEW BBQ

 Aww how sweet.

 Crawford Lake

 Cutest dog ever.

 The contents of my storage unit...... Tetris

 Oh Hai

 My packed car!!

 The Last Supper!

 This truck was full of goats.

 My work here is done. (No I did not use it all I stole it all.)

 Detrimental to stealing success.

 Great...

 Driving through floods in Amos for breakfast!

Which of these does not belong?

GOOSE BREAK!

Peace out homies!!

INSANITY.

Well, just as things were getting hopeful, ALL HELL HAS BROKEN LOOSE AND THERE IS A BLIZZARD ONCE AGAIN.  Sorry for the caps, but you have to understand my frustration. As you peeps in the south are prancing around in flip flops and bikinis, I am - still - wearing my -40 degree rated Sorel boots and SNOWPANTS. What day is it? Is it Christmas? Are we living in Siberia? NO. It is April 19th and I am living in Wemindji, the world's most wonderful snowglobe.

Alright rant over.  I keep forgetting to write stuff here because nothing happens but SNOW. That can get boring! I guess I can tell you abboooutttttt.... ummm....

Alright so Facebook updated and magically all of the "Notes" I wrote (like mini blogs) reappeared after years of being lost somewhere on my page! I was really happy to see this today because I am clearly running out of interesting tidbits of my life to share and I thought I would take a walk down memory lane and make comment on some things I wrote a while back - see what has changed, am I still as immature now as I was 4 years ago? Probably yes but let's find out...
 25 Things About Me (Written February 19th 2009)

1. I am nearly obsessed with cats. I have 2 boys of my own, Little Baby and Red (Big Red if you're nasty). Little Baby loves me SO MUCH its not even funny. He has massive emotional and anxiety issues and practices a strict "stranger danger" policy which applies to everyone except me. We like to hug. Red is BIG BONED okay people. He ain't fat, look at the size of his hands!

**Okay so I no longer have these cats, sadly.  I had to give them up with I moved in with a now-ex-boyfriend.  I am probably going to Hell for doing such a terrible thing but seeing as though I now live in the nation's snowbelt, they are probably better off.

2. I am the HUGEST procrastinator, however my best works are often completed the night before the due date or on the due date (before 4 pm for all ya'll Ryerson people!)

**Still true but now that I am apparently a real adult with real responsibilities and "flying by the seat of one's pants" isn't conducive to effective teaching, I take much more care in planning.

3. I live on my own. I thought I would go crazy being alone, but I actually enjoy it most of the time. I don't talk to myself or the kitties nearly as much as I thought I would!

**I once again live on my own and its fantastic.  I don't talk to myself at all, but I also have kinda 2 "roommates"/next door neighbors who I spend almost every waking minute with so maybe it doesn't count as living alone?

4. Money (that I technically do not have) flows through my fingers like water.

**Nothing has changed here.

5. I love to read, mostly historical romance novels (ugh I know I can't help it) but also as of late, Twilight series, not a *quality* written book, but entrancing nonetheless.

**Ditto.

6. I am jealous of how well Eryl writes birthday cards, she outdoes me every time.

**A Journalism degree has only intensified her ability to write me into a corner.

7. I do not believe in god, but I pray for him to send me a streetcar when its cold/at night/when I'm running late, just in case.

**Now I curse the lord when he continually dumps snow on my front step.

8. I LOVE Law & Order in the follow order: SVU, Regular, C.I.

**Gonna throw COPS in there too.

9. I own a pair of men's stiletto heels size 10, most of you know this already. They fit Milena like a glove. <3

**I still own these.  Best party trick evar.

10. I do not feel like a normal person unless I get about 10 hours of sleep. If I know I am getting less than 7, I get panicky.

**Still the same, especially since I now teach full time which drains every last bit of energy.  However in my old age I find it near impossible to sleep in, no matter how late I go to bed.  This angers me.

11. I am going to be a teacher one day, hopefully kindergarten, but I currently HATE my placement supervisor, today she told me she wanted my attendance record because she felt that I wasn't there at all for the month of February... I was away once.

**Wow, uber professional nii! Um.... SO at least the teacher part came true!!!

12. I can, and probably will kick all ya'lls asses at Crazy Eights Countdown. I am effing amazing, just ask Hilary. She taught me well.

**I have forgotten how to play this.  Shame.

13. My best friend (besides friends my own age) is probably my mother. I moved to Nova Scotia about 3 years ago to get away from it all and came back with a deep appreciation for her and all she does.

**Still the same!! We may live thousands of kilometres away but the time we spend together is quality.

14. I dye my hair.




NAAAAATTT

**Same, except I have wayyyyyy less hair than I did 4 years ago.  I'm working on it.  Some advice? Avoid "Free" haircuts.  Nothing comes for free...

15. I miss my dad everyday! I keep everything that has his writing on it or was his. I have a pair of his glasses in my bathroom drawer so I think of him every morning. He would have loved www.icanhascheezburger.com and facebook.

**Yep!! I actually just got one of the Cree teachers to write his name out in Cree for me so I can have it tattooed on me at Goose Break.  It is simple and meaningful and I am really excited.

16. I had a cat who committed suicide. He couldn't handle life on the 14th floor so he ended it all! Goodbye sweet world! RIP Leland!

**Said cat is still dead from suicide.

17. I am SO afraid of lake/ocean water. Rivers too. Streams I am okay with, same with pools. I get palpitations when I can't see the bottom or my feet touch slimy stuff. Or when fish touch me. See photo album.

**This fear was confirmed when I had a panic attack in a cenote in Mexico. 

18. I love my family, we are small but very close and traditional in our holiday and special celebrations. My grandad is getting married this spring at the ripe old age of 80 to his sweetie Pam. Woo!

**Still have a small and close-knit family, I miss them all the time!

19. I often eat the same kind of food for weeks until I get so sick of it I never want to eat it again (Sante Fe Rice and Beans ugh) except for peirogies. Those, I could NEVER get sick of.

**Salmon, Lipton Sidekick and steamed broccoli.  This is my new "Sante Fe Rice and Beans" except I will never get sick of it!

20. I wanted to learn to cook this year, but all I could manage was a stew. It was pretty tasty.

**Mission accomplished, I can cook. 

21. My boobs may be on the large side, but I like em. Now, anyways. Before, them watermelons were damn unmanageable. Hooray for OHIP

**Notice: they are huge again but its cool I can manage.

22. I am currently obsessed with buying movies. I CANT STOP

**See #4.  This is why I am working in the North.

23. I believe in ghosts and I try not to do embarassing things while I am alone incase *they are watching*

**Still true.  I think I got abducted by aliens the other night, something bright flashed in my eyes while I was sleeping. 

24. I believe that I am meant to carry children and give birth to them, just not my own. I am very maternal and domestic but I don't want my own chillens. I just want to birth em.

**Still true hmmmmm

25. Anyone want to buy a Tony Little Gazelle? $100. Seriously. I hate it.

**I sold that piece of crap on Kijiji. 
I wont be posting any more pictures of my town covered in snow because I am sure you can use your imagination.  It is a snow covered town.  There is snow everywhere. Oh but it is BUSH CAMP on Monday so really, I'll be just fine :)