Alaska: Part Five "Kid in AK"

These photos of my childhood will help you see Alaska more clearly. Maybe it's more like the rest of the "lower 48" than I think. Or maybe this will prove, once again, that I am a product of the state of mind those from Alaska have.

My baby sister was lost once (about 2 blocks from home) and a policeman asked her where she lived. She said, "On the dirt pile." Luckily, we lived in such a small town, he knew who she was and brought her home. I don't know if my mom complained about the silty Alaskan ground and our yard as a "dirt pile", or if Briana just loved playing on the actual gravel pile in our backyard??

My mom told me she never did my hair, but look mom, I have cute pigtails! I used to dream about jumping off stuff and flying. Does anyone else remember a dream like that, as a kid? Maybe this rock pile inspired me?

My mom was REALLY into each of her kids learning the piano. I had pretty good teachers, except that one weird man, that taught lessons in his stinky, basement apartment. CREEPY!! I still have nightmares about that guy, I don't think he actually could play, I certainly never heard him. All he did was eat chips, while I played.

Is my brother John getting ready to sing in this photo, or just listen to me perform? Since I'm such a show-off, I'll assume the second. We'll never know, but we do know that my mother recently confessed to loving Sailor Uniforms. That explains a lot about how she dressed me.


We spent a huge amount of time camping, in Alaska. And pretending scrawny trees were horses, apparently. Besides Sailor Costumes, I think my mom liked Scottish Plaid, or else, she just hated me. Not sure on that one. Hey, at least my socks matched!


Another thing Mom was "into" was Halloween. She sewed each of these costumes (except mine was purchased on a trip to Korea with my dad). She's a bumblebee, Dad is 'Wee Willie Winkie' (I never saw him sleep in that nightgown she made him, I wonder if he had a Sailor Suit, instead?) My baby brother, Michael is dressed as a girl. After spending last weekend with him, I now understand why he talks so much. He was gender confused as a baby! Paul (bunny) and Briana (mouse) wore those costumes after John and I were done with them, passing them on, all the way to my kids . . . f you want to borrow them, they're in my attic! John's magician mustache is so adorable. No wonder he STILL likes facial hair so much!


We played T-Ball every summer, on Dad's team. I'm the oldest kid on the team, as #9. I think I played so poorly, Dad told everyone I had special needs and they let me keep playing on his team. That summer I hit my first home run. It was at my 9th birthday party and all my friends came to the game. Highlight of my life. Briana is #6, John is #27 and our lifelong best friends, the Wilson kids, are on the left of them.

There are two seasons in Alaska, Winter and Road construction. We did T-Ball during Road Construction and the other 9 months we swam indoors. The deep snow didn't allow for much else, and my last post is about snow, so stay tuned!


During those snowy months we took vacations! In 1984, we flew to Hawaii for $100 dollars each! My cute grandpa, who recently passed away, met us there and showed us where he was stationed in WWII. We went to the chapel he attended and my hero, Miss America was there. She had a speaking assigment in the congregation because she was a Mormon (Sharlene Wells). She was my IDOL! Grandpa took hundreds of photos, but forgot to load the camera with film. Lowlight of my life. Let's move on.



I love this photo of our first roller coaster, ridden while in Hawaii! The boys are having fun and the girls are about to die. Too funny.

OK, so lastly, my town was BIG into theatre. I was in about a ba-jillion plays, but these two were my favorites. In the play, Trudy and the Minstrel, I was a gypsy (My brother, John, was my no-good-lazy husband) I had to learn the mandolin and sing a few little ditty's. I think Briana may have been Trudy and I was the Minstrel, but that would have been the two lead rolls, so maybe not? Maybe she and Paul were just homeless clowns??

In The Wizard of Oz, Briana was "A Wolf", Michael was "A Bunny", John "The Scarecrow", I was "The Wicked Witch", complete with a cackling, melting scene, and Paul was "A Munchkin". I really loved those boots and have wanted a pair of lace ups, ever since. OK, enough Alaskan Fun for now. No wonder I love "Elphaba" from the Broadway play, Wicked. I can relate.