Santa in Tok Land

We were lucky enough to catch Santa Claus on his visit to Tok in advance of Christmas to bring our daughter to meet him for the first time. She actually met him the day prior while we were in Fairbanks at the Wal-Mart there, and had her photo taken with him. But they lost the photos.

Not wanting to disappoint her, when I heard Santa would be at the Tok VFW, we decided to forgo her nap in order to get a photo with Santa. Below are some pics from the event. Clearly, our little one was a bit nervous about the whole thing, but afterward, she was quite happy.

What are you doing to gear up for the holidays in Tok?

Tok Tidbits

Did you hear…

• A new hair salon is opening up soon in Tok? Anyone want to open up a coffee shop/bookstore, too? With wifi?
• The Parent Committee for Head Start is having a raffle? Fly-in fishing trip’s the main prize.
• If you’re looking for Pampered Chef or Mary Kay products, see Shauna Lee. Order before end of the month and The Tok School Science dept will get a portion of sales for their fundraiser.
• Today was Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge’s annual Christmas Bird Count. Did you participate?
• Wed. Dec 16 @ 7pm is the book club held in the Refuge kitchen. They’ll be discussing the book, “Oil Spill” by Sharon Bushell. Even if you haven’t read it yet, they invite you to join the discussion.

Got a tidbit to share? Happy to post it on this blog (no charge)!

Dec 3: Peter Mulvey Performs in Tok

I’m so excited! I’m going to be in town for the next concert brought to Tok by Bud Johson and Acoustic Accents, Alaska’s music showcase produced right here in our community!

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Peter Mulvey (www.petermulvey.com) will perform at Fast Eddy’s in Tok on Thursday, December 3rdth at 7:30 pm.  Opening for Peter is singer/songwriter Anais Mitchell (www.anaismitchell.com).

Over the past 20 years, Peter Mulvey has pursued a eclectic path as a writer and musician, performing on the streets of Dublin, the subways of Boston and now relentlessly touring as a headliner.

“I like making records, but my job is the live show: getting on stage and taking people somewhere,” says Mulvey who has shared the stage with luminaries such as Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, Ani DiFranco, Indigo Girls, and Greg Brown, and has attracted an audience that stretches from Anchorage to Amsterdam.

Peter has released 12 CDs receiving nationwide airplay and much critical acclaim.  The Boston Globe said “(Mulvey’s) guitar sounds like it’s on steroids… a superb technician with a fondness for ignoring the rules… a genre-defying traditionalist – a knuckleballer with finger picks”.  Rolling Stone described his vocals as “a voice lush and hushed that occasionally sinks into a whisper…gorgeous’.’  His latest record, Letters from a Flying Machine, was just released this fall on Signature Sounds.

A Vermont native raised on a sheep farm, Anais Mitchell has lived and performed around the world.  Mitchell started writing songs at age 17 and eventually started performing them live during her school days, which were punctuated by a remarkable amount of traveling. In a short period of time, Anaïs made several trips to the Middle East, and also spent time in Europe and Latin America, studying languages and world politics. This stunning, troubadour-like experience seeped into her music, and she became adept at fusing her passion for literature and journalism in her lyrics.  Her most recent record The Brightness was released on the independent powerhouse label Righteous Babe Records.

The concert is presented by Spin Monkey Productions and sponsored by Duct Tape Radio and Humanities Forum (DTRHF). Tickets are $14 in advance and $16 at the door and will be available at A & J Variety.  Additional information can be obtained by phone at 883-3664 or email at info@acousticaccents.net.

Giving Back to Your Community

One thing I find fascinating about some of the comments on my previous post where I talked about things that are great and that suck about small towns is that some people in Tok actually thought I was talking specifically about Tok versus small towns in general – even though I included an intro like this:

Here are my thoughts on the good things about living in small towns and the not so good. I think this can apply to smaller towns and communities anywhere.

Still, some people really took the post personally.

Luckily, I’ve blogged long enough to know that I can’t take things personally when people misinterpret what I’ve blogged about and bring their own issues and baggage into the comments section. But to clarify, I was just thinking about all of the small towns I’ve lived in over the years versus the big cities and making some general comparisons for conversation’s sake. Guess it worked!

But this post you are now reading is about Tok – just to clarify for those folks who are standing at the ready to criticize (apparently some of you just have nothing better to do than read this blog and post little zingers).

Let’s Talk About Giving

‘Tis the season to be thinking about giving. But in my life and my world, giving is built right into everything I do.

For example, my company does pro bono work for good causes as a rule, not an exception. I personally contribute time, consulting services and money to nonprofits, and if you know my schedule, you know I don’t technically have time to give, but where there’s a will, there’s a way.

And when I move to a new community, I seek out organizations and causes where I can apply my time, skills and money as well.

That’s why before coming to Tok, I offered to volunteer to bring the Imagination Library to the community to give free books every month to kids 5 and under (a friend in Anchorage had recently been given the job to help bring the program to rural Alaska). Every child in Tok who registers for the program qualifies for free, age-appropriate books from birth until kindergarten.

When I arrived last year, I learned that the librarian at the Tok School was also interested in bringing Imagination Library to the community so I stepped back, handed over all the paperwork I had brought with me to the incredibly efficient Carrie Beeman, and the idea became reality.

My company donated $250 to help get the project off the ground, and I’ve been doing my best to help with PR, fliers, and Web stuff to help spread the word about monthly Imagination Library events, travel permitting. Now thanks to everyone’s hard work (especially Carrie’s), Imagination Library in our region has been given a grant for expansion. More on that soon.

Another organization I learned about in Tok is Duct Tape Radio and Humanities Forum. I am helping to get a Duct Radio blog going for them and set up their Facebook Page (Become a Fan!). I hope to contribute more time getting the word out about their efforts to support humanities and the arts in Tok including the repeater that brings us KUAC. We’re also talking about doing a little Tok radio as a podcast so stay tuned! I’ll be donating my services to help make it happen.

And in another arena, I’ve offered to post information about events and link to Tok business web sites from this blog. For free. As in “no cost.” So far, only Bud Johnson of Acoustic Accents and the Imagination Library have taken me up on that offer. The rest of the things I blog here about community events – and the links I have put up – are just things I’ve done on my own, but the efforts are by no means complete.

This blog is read by hundreds of people every week from all over the world – thousands of people a month. And even though many people like to be naysayers here on the blog, they’re still reading it (my stats track where they are, and yes, many are in Tok).  If you would like some exposure to the community or to the world, just email me through this blog, and I’m happy to post things! The only criteria is the events have to be open to the public. The links to businesses must be for sites or blogs for Tok-based businesses.

Stay tuned for a post this week about the next concert Bud Johnson is bringing to Tok. And also stay tuned for a winter chamber music concert with world class musicians that will be here thanks to Sitka Summer Music Festival and some great Tok resources. And if anyone knows the Karaoke KJ, please have ‘em send me their dates!

How are YOU giving back to YOUR community?

9 Things That Are Great About/Suck About Small Towns

We’ve just returned to Tok after five weeks away. Thank you to everyone who has hung in here and also contacted me about the blog silence. My daughter and I were staying with my folks in Florida while my husband did some traveling on his own. And now we’re back. And it’s cold.

Coming back to a small, rural community like Tok makes me think of a lot of things, both good and bad. I always do try to see the silver lining on things, but I can’t deny that living here is very hard.

Here are my thoughts on the good things about living in small towns and the not so good. I think this can apply to smaller towns and communities anywhere.

Good	Bad
It’s quiet.	It’s lonely.
It’s safe, especially for your kids.	It’s isolated with few resources for kids.
It’s a slower pace.	It can be boring.
No traffic.	No place to go.
You can see thousands of stars in the night’s sky.	Dangerous, pitch dark, icy roads.
No close neighbors.	No close friends.
People are there to help in a pinch.	People make it their business to know your business.
No crowds or long lines.	Nobody shows up for events.
No urban sprawl.	No bookstore, no movie theater, no restaurant variety.

What are your impressions of or experiences with life in a small town?

I Want My Tok Karaoke

With the darkness coming more quickly by the day, I’m thinking of dusting off my Karaoke machine and getting ready for the long, cold winter with a little in-home Karaoke madness. Music soothes the sun-deprived soul. When we were living in Anchorage, I used to marvel at the wealth of public Karaoke options. We’d usually go to Al’s Karaoke Bar in our ‘hood.

Now I know that Tok has Karaoke but it always seems to be the best kept secret. I’ve heard it is every other Saturday but  Saturdays it is on or off. Looks like I need to start making some calls! I did make it to one Karaoke night that was fun but like in most places, Karaoke is an acquired taste and most people only do it after a large amount of alcohol consumption. I actually prefer to Karaoke without too many drinks. After two, I start really missing all the notes.

I’m fascinated with the Karaoke culture, that is, the culture of hardcore Karaoke fans. It’s a bit like RV culture – this strata of people who live a different kind of lifestyle by choice and being part of that group is like being a part of a secret club where you all know the secret handshake. Someday, I’m going to take an RV and travel the country in search of Karaoke. Maybe even enter a contest or two if I can really work up a good song.

Karaoke in a small town is quite different from Karaoke in the big city. First, you are usually competing with fewer people for your chance at the mic so you end up singing a little more often. Sometimes in Anchorage, I’d be lucky to get two songs in, and that was a 8pm, the moment the Karaoke DJ opened the mic. Another thing is that if you do Karaoke in a small town, the next day everyone – and I mean everyone – knows you did it and exactly what songs you sang. But that’s okay, I don’t mind it if folks in my community know I’m a Karaoke fanatic.

I’ll make a few calls, get the winter schedule for Tok Karaoke, and start plugging away with some Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, and a little bit of Shania Twain mixed in for good measure.

Do you Karaoke? What are your best songs or artists?

Summer Is Dead. Long Live Summers in Tok.

Winter is here. At 20 degrees most of the morning, I know this is just a taste of what is to come, however, I’m already shivering. There was frost on the ground this morning. The rhubarb in the backyard garden are drooping, the peas are bitter. Luckily, the sun is out and bright now to warm the greenhouse and the hoards of green tomatoes, but we should really bring those in to ripen in the basement.

And as yet another sign of summer: the big orange produce truck is here today but gone for the rest of the year, not to return until next summer. Yes, the produce truck is here, and while I’m a new and loyal convert to Gene’s veggie truck, he doesn’t have fruit or a few other items that the big truck carries so I think you can get a nice supply of produce by frequenting both places.

The produce truck folks said they MIGHT be here tomorrow (Wednesday) morning as well – depends on how their supplies hold out after today.

Today, I picked up sweet onions, a bag of apples, some nice-looking plums, some large tomotoes and two acorn squash. I almost bought a few jalapenos to make homemade salsa and am still contemplating going back for those, however, that means lots of chopping work ahead, and this cold weather is making me feel so lazy.

How is the pending winter making you feel? How have you prepared for a winter without easily accessible fresh fruits and veggies?

Tok Alaska Farmers Market

If You Lived Here, I Still Might Not Know You

Just finished a fantastic book about living in remoter parts of Alaska called If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name by Heather Lende. I’ve crossed paths with Heather before when she received an award from the Alaska Communications Professionals in Anchorage but at the time, didn’t know who she was. Not that I didn’t read the Anchorage Daily News, but her column was being carried less and less frequently. And then I moved to Tok.

Reading about Haines, Alaska through Lende’s essays was incredibly satisfying. I love her perspective on human beings, on life, on relationships, and on life in a small town. I love the way she portrays thorny situations and real-life dramas with quiet respect and reflection. What a great essayist!

I’d love to have a modicum of Lende’s talent for conveying small town politics without getting too controversial or political. Her sensitivity is honorable and enviable. She reveals so much while still “protecting the guilty.” And you really come away from reading this book feeling like you know the people of Haines, even just a glimpse of them, and you know what it is to live in a place like Haines.

How can I tell you what it is like to live in a place like Tok? I come at this place from an entirely different place than Lende in Haines because although a transplant to her area, she has lived there for years, had children there, had a career writing obituaries for the local paper, all things to tie her more closely to a community.

I’ve arrived from “the city.” I had my only child in the city and have brought her here and hope she will grow and thrive. My career is the business I own that I run from my home which is isolating in many ways. I try to contribute to my community through this blog. I also try to tangibly contribute by making donations – monetary and in-kind – to meaningful local causes and organizations such as the Tok Tanacross Imagination Library and Duct Tape Radio and Humanities Forum. Doing the best I can.

Heather Lende’s book reminds me of the complexity of people who come to live in very small communities and who like it just the way it is. This place, like Haines, has history and layers. Nothing is like it looks on the surface. Nothing is as simple as it might seem.

You can order If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name online.

What are your thoughts of/experiences with living in a small community?

Long Shadows

I walk outside when I see the sun shining now, and the shadows are long. Long shadows foreshadow the quick descent of winter. We’re on the downward slide into darkness. And I’m not feeling very good about it.

Long shadows make me woeful and anxious. Long shadows haunt me.

Looks like I should figure out where my full spectrum light box is to make sure I have quick and easy access to it once the dark descends. I’m bracing myself for the disappearance of light.

How do you prepare for and deal with the darkness?