Sorry Kids, Christmas Is Cancelled - I Just Ate Rudolf

[Donna Moore]

This is for Ewan, who thinks I am mentioning food far too much - my pizza last night was reindeer and feta cheese and it was delicious, although I feel vaguely guilty about tucking into Rudolf. Lunch today was Alaskan King Crab, halibut, oysters, scallops and salmon at this place, which is a really quaint Alaskan restaurant.

Inside it are lots of stuffed things (including ME by the end of the meal). This, I am sure, is the closest I will come to a bear during this trip. And then for dinner tonight, I had Rudolf sausage, and various cheeses at the presentation thing - of which more later.

Karen came to pick me up this morning and we did a bit of shopping. We went to Office Depot so that I could pick up loads of pens and pencils for the children. I have about 300 now, so, with the chocolate and biscuits, that should be enough for all the children to get something. It was a gorgeous day. Fancy having this scenery as the backdrop to your working day.


This evening was the presentation thingy. I was VERY nervous - which was not improved by getting to the place where it was being held and seeing the size of the screen. But it went OK. People laughed, no one fell asleep, and I only almost cried once during my speech.

One of the older students, Nick, was there along with his family. They have now moved to Anchorage and he was able to come along. During my time in the villages last year, when I had said that I was going to be holding a short story competition, Nick had been dubious about whether he was going to be able to write anything. He had a book on his desk and I asked him about it. It turns out he is a big fan of fantasy and science fiction. So I told him he should write me a story that HE would like to read. So he did. It was a huge, sprawlig epic of a story. And then he wrote me another. And another. And he's still writing me stories.


I gave him a couple of copies of the anthology of the childrens' stories and got him to sign my copy (I'm going to get all the children to sign their stories in my copy). His mum said that she had never read any of his writing so she immediately opened the book and read Nick's story. It was lovely. After I had done my presentation Nick got up and made a short speech. Here is what he said:

"I wish to thank Donna Moore for helping me discover the joy of writing. I have never thought that I would like to write until she challenged me to write a story. I had so much fun with it that I wrote another story. She has been a key to a door that I never knew existed. I can’t thank her enough for showing me what I can do with my writing ability. I have not always liked writing until she showed me that I can do it. When I write I lose myself in the story and everything that is going on. Sometime I don’t even think about what I’m writing I just write. When I write I feel like a part of me is being put on paper. I am almost sure if Miss. Moore hadn’t visited the class I wouldn’t ever have started to write. Thank you Miss. Donna Moore"

How brilliant is that?! I am not ashamed to say that I cried. And I'm not the only one - a couple of the people who were there said that they shed a tear or two. And I am tearing up again just writing it down!

So it was a very memorable and lovely day. But I am sincerely sorry about Rudolf. Please forgive me. On the plus side, I let Donner and Blitzen and Prancer and Dancer and ...errrrr...the other ones...live.

Tomorrow it's off to Aniak. I am already practising my checking-in speech at the airport. Because it's a small plane they not only weight your luggage, but they weigh you, too. "Hi my name is Donna and I weigh a hideous number of pounds, but look, my boots are huge and really heavy." There - I think that works :o)

[Donna Moore]

I will see what I can do :o) And the kids are amazing. I am surrounded by beautiful happy faces.

[John McFetridge]

Yes, take a picture, let's see. You wearing the boots.

;)

The trip does look like fun, though I have to say, parking lots full of snow will be very familiar here in a couple of months.

The kids sound great.

[Donna Moore]

LOL. No - believe me, you wuldn't say that if you saw them! I shall have to take a photo of them as proof.

[John McFetridge]

No, see, they're sexy BECAUSE they're on you.

Sheesh.

[Donna Moore]

Not these ones they're not. They make me look like Frankenstein's monster :o)

[John McFetridge]

Yeah, but they're very sexy boots.