Beginning of the Adventure

I have been in the field for 3 days now doing an archaeological excavation in Old Harbor.  I came down on Sunday with Chase, Catherine, Sam and Danielle, and we started to dig in earnest on Monday.  We will be here for 6 weeks and will excavate 3 different sites that are slated to be covered by an airport runway extension.  So far it has been a fun time.

We started out by cutting back the bank of the first site we will be working at to get a look at the profile.  The profile shows all the layers we will find when we later excavate from above.  It also clearly shows the charcoal stained lens that we found last year and that piqued our interest to dig at the site.  Last year we thought it might be an early Kachemak smoke processing pit, but radiocarbon analysis tells us it is 7000 years old.  I thought this had to be wrong, and closely examined the profile to figure out how I could have been fooled so badly.

And I think we got it figured out.  It seems there is an earlier component associated with a living surface we uncovered today at a different part of the site.  We are excavating two blocks on the site.  At the block away from the profile we did find artifacts that seem to date to the Kachemak era (ca 3500 years ago), and we also found this layer above a thick volcanic ash layer that caps our charcoal lens.  So people seem to have camped and used this spot TWO times in the past, and the old charcoal stained lens looks like it really is 7000 years old.  I believe it might well be a smoke processing feature of some sort too.  We have not excavated it yet, but it clearly is quite small and seems to be ringed by old post holes.  Perhaps it burned down. Anyway that’s what I think for now, and in the past I have been known to jump to hasty conclusions.  So we will see if my current theories hold up!

As to our field conditions and general crew morale I’ll let the pictures and captions tell the story.  Patrick

The flight down

Clean cut crew about to get dirty

On recon the first day

We start to cut back the profile

The profile with charcoal lens in the middle

Catherine and Sam examine the profile

Clean cut crew at the house after work

If you look closely you can see us exacting on top of the site

Lunch escaping the rain in the tarp tent

It was a little tight

After a hard days work

Good byes & Hellos

This past week has been quite the mix of hellos and goodbyes!

My friends Alisa and Mike are visiting from Australia with their two boys; what fun its been to see them and reconnect! I visited them last year in Australia and it feels like no time at all has passed since then. Those are the best types of friendships! More to come on their visit in future post...

The Old Harbor archaeology crew arrived, then left yesterday for Old Harbor. This years crew consisted of Catherine, Danielle, Sam, Chase and Patrick. Sam was the only new one out of the crew and she is an absolutely lovely person and so excited to be in Alaska. It is her first trip here and first field experience. The crew is off to Old Harbor to do a survey of the runway as the town prepares for a runway extension. 

While saying goodbye, I found myself more emotional than normal, as this trip is 6 weeks; a bit longer than standard digs. This comes right at a time when we have really found a nice spring rhythm and groove to our family. The good part is, however, that they have phone access and can call as needed. The kids and myself will most likely take a short trip to Old Harbor to say hello and check out the scene. 

Patrick cooked up the most rockin' turkey/stuffing dinner the night before they left!

The archaeology crew: Patrick, Catherine, Danielle, Sam and Chase. 

Nora and Stuey enjoy a snack with Eric and Elias. 

Catherine and Tank cuddle on the kitchen couch. 

Showing Chase the "drama" feature on our camera

After years of Catherine coming up for digs, its like a day hasn't passed when we see eachother! 

And a sad, but happy, farewell goodbye to one of my favorite, most dedicated fitness class members, Marcia Putney (below, center, in the green shirt). 

A WORK GOODBYE

Marcia has been one of my most consistent members at A Balanced Approach since I opened my fitness studio nearly 9 years ago and next week she and her husband move to Florida. She has always been so positive, fun and willing to try new classes. I've had a special fondness for she and her husband Todd. I will miss them. This picture was taken today at my last Powerflex class with her. We were both teary as we hugged goodbye. I've been so blessed with her presence in my life. Happy Trails to my longest-time member, Marcia!

Zoya

Last Ski

Chase in a snowstorm whiteout a few days ago

Yesterday I went for my last ski of the season - at least until July anyway.  It's hard to stop when the skiing is so good.  But on Monday I'll be digging away in the field, and in the next 2 days I got to get the field gear ready and into the field.  Chase might go for a ski today but I will not.  What's amazing is that yesterday we still skiied to the road.  Usually you can't do that by mid May - Especially in a low snow year like this has been - but it has been a cool sunny spring.  Patrick

Chase from the top

Some more ski photos of Chase from yesterday.  I had commitments on both of the absolutely spectacular days before yesterday and could not go skiing.  It about killed me to look up at the snow and be stuck in a meeting.  But Chase did go, and yesterday we beat the rain and got in a ski in the last of the good weather before it rained.  Today when we went up it was raining in town but on the mountain it was snowing hard!  This is the best skiing of the year.

What's funny is that last night Chase and I looked back at the ski photos I took when he was last here in 2008 and they are almost identical (click here and here).  Even the post titles and subjects sound a little similar.  I guess things have not changed all that much around here.  Good thing!  Patrick

PS if you look closely in a few of these photos you will notice a few lurking Navy SEALs.  They enjoyed watching Chase ski from the top of Pyramid.  I think he had an audience of about 40 SEAL recruits in training watching from the bottom of the run - all with cell phones and cameras at the ready.

Spring Changes

When I sit down and think about how much transition my business has had in the past 6 months, its a pretty wild list.

-October 2012  Contractor Renovated new rental space for larger fitness studio/PT clinic

-November 2012  Moved into new location

-December 2012  I started the physical therapy contract at the USCG for 16 hours a week

-January 2013  Hired new office manager (Kate) in preparation for Winona transferring and moving.

-January 2013 Became an LLC and therefore needed new contracts, logo, etc on all documents and signage. 

-February 2013  Kate began working.

-March 2013 Made the switch to Electronic Medical Records for physical therapy. Kate learned all the new software and   got us up and running with a new medical billing and electronic records program

-March 2013 I started implementing Nora's PT program 5 days a week, 1.5 hours a day

-May 2013  Winona leaves for Hawaii

Kate made incredible home made berry scones and a fruit plate for my birthday and Winona's last day at work. 

Team dinner at Old Powerhouse Restaurant. Winona is in the center in the blue. 

Tonight several of us instructors and Kate shared in a farewell dinner with Winona at the Old Powerhouse. It was bittersweet for me; I'm so happy for her journey to Hawaii. I think back to the long conversations she and I would have at the old fitness studio location, dreaming, scheming of how to grow. And now, we're there. In a new space, more classes, more instructors. Its more than I ever could've dreamed of.

Happy Trails, Winona! I'm going to miss you!

Zoya

Chase, PACE and "Fetch"

Chase and "Fetch"
This weekend was the official start of archaeology season with the arrival of our first field archaeologist, Chase. He arrived yesterday from New Hampshire and this is his second time on a dig with Patrick. He was last here 5 years ago and its been great to have him back. Stuey has taken quite a liking to him, asking him to play lincoln logs, etc.

This morning something quite comical happened. Stuey woke up, Chase was still sleeping.
When Stuey woke up, he was looking around for Chase. I could tell he was trying really, super hard to remember Chases name.

He finally asked "Mommy, is Fetch up?"

I told Chase about Stueys' name confusion and we got a good laugh out of it! Especially since Chase absolutely loves dog and runs/maintains sled dog teams for a living. Another dog action-verb name...

Elke, Patrick, Chase and Stuey at Mothers Day Dinner last night. Patrick made Deer roast, Yorkshire pudding, green beans and dinner salad. So yummy!

PACE

Today was my first day doing PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement) with Nora. I've been prepping for a few weeks and was excited to finally give the program a go. Nora was enthusiastic with it and it is actually very fun-a combination of a variety of mental exercises and games. Becka in Seattle gives me the 6 exercises I am to every day and we go through them one by one. It was exciting to see her progress within the exercises even today!
More to come on that with video of some sort later.


FRIENDS, FAMILY, THERAPISTS

Over the years I've had many supportive family and friends to help console me as I've worked to find the right combination of treatment and approaches for Nora. On a walk this past weekend with one of these handful of friends, she said, "Zoya, I remember a year ago when I walked into your house. Nora was upside down on the recliner chair biting her nails. You looked at me and were at wits end. You didn't know what to do to help make Nora happy." I got a good laugh out of this, thinking about how far we had come.

On the flip side, I've also had well intentioned friends/family/aqcuaintenances/nannies/therapists  who have said or inferred that I wasn't being firm enough or strict enough with Nora. They said that if I was firmer, then she would listen better or behave better.

Some people would try to model what they thought were "good discipline" approaches to use with Nora which were ultimately unsuccessful. Techniques which worked great for their kids (or for Stuey) did not work well for Nora.  I always knew inside that I WAS firm enough and now I really, really appreciate the handful of  friends who really encouraged me and helped me seek other avenues of treatment for her difficulties.  I wouldn't give up in finding something that would help address the base underlying problems.

Going through this makes me more sensitive to the challenges we face as moms and parents with our kids. What works for one parent/child relationship, won't work for another. All the good discipline/parenting books in the world was not going to solve the internal struggles Nora was having. Her struggles were a direct result of auditory and vestibular systems of her brain not connecting and working with each other.

The most important thing we can do as moms/parents/therapists is to be compassionate, caring, supportive of each other and to help bring each other up during down times.

Nora is essentially a changed, more relaxed confident girl as a result of this program. Our family is happier, and have a more peaceful relaxed rhythm. It is not as a result of me being heavy handed, or firmer. It is a result of finding the right combination of treatments to help "reset" her auditory system and help her be more settled inside herself.

Zoya

Field Season Begins

It's that time of year again - Field Season Begins!  In a week I will be off to Old Harbor for a 6 week archaeological excavation and today the first of the crew arrived.  Chase has worked with us on Kodiak before and he is an avid skiier.  So he decided to come a little early to get some skiing in before the dig begins.  And that brings up the sad part about field season - it means the end of ski season.  The snow is still great for skiing but once the field season begins I never have time to get away up into the mountains.  Or rather after a day of digging and screening dirt I am usually too tired to want to climb a mountain.  And so ends ski season.

But for the next week Chase and I will still hit it hard every afternoon.  Then it will be off to Old Harbor.  Below are some pictures of Chase fresh off of the plane getting in some turns on Pyramid.  Patrick

The Jungle Books; First Flowers and First Make Up

Yesterday was The Little School of Dances' Annual spring recital and this years show was the Jungle Books.

Nora was one of 5 little Monkeys and she skipped around the stage with such joy and ease.
Its been wonderful to see her improved confidence on stage and she is already looking forward to dance class next year!

Nora with her friend Estella. 

This was a peformance of firsts for Nora-her first time wearing make-up and her first time getting a rose after the performance.

Nora is finishing up 1st grade and I decided it was time to put a splash of blush, some lipstick on for this performance. Nora was thrilled and beamed a huge smile as I put her make up on here at home.  Stuey was being very goofy, laughed and said, "Nora, you look funny" Ahhh.....Sibling Love.

 After the performance I gave her a single red rose, as did her cousins Leo and Zeke.

I believe Stuey missed being on the big stage. He LOVED watching the performances (we went to both shows). He was captivated. He says he wants to start dance again next year, which would be wonderful.

Zoya