Full circle: IL to AK to IL

I'm so happy I found this Alaskan arena! I lived in Anchorage from 1986 to 1994 and sadly left when the economy became too tough for me and my line of work....always thought I'd get back but instead, eventually, have come full circle back to the family farm here in Illinois.

Which is actually kind of neat as I'm smack dab in Obama land here and watching in some amusement as the "curtain is pulled back" on the Alaskan politics. Ahhh, Alaskan politics and Alaskan life, such a world apart from the rest of the U.S. ("outside") and so difficult to explain to my friends out here as I try to give "context" to the Sarah Palin phenomena.

For example, watching the top Republicans all rush in to gush over this woman at the convention when I'm saying: "Wasilla? That town is smaller than most of my friends have ever lived in--and we're rural out here!" "Cleaned up corruption? A noble concept, certainly, but it seemed really unlikely to me given the financial and social structure of Alaska--but who knows what had changed in the 14 years since I was gone?" ....and my thoughts have kept going along these lines of what I knew from 8 years of living there vs. what the press had to say vs. what the blogs have to say.

I appreciate the "glass ceiling" that women hit in some professions--I've hit a few myself. I do believe that many women, historically, have been wonderful leaders and that eventually, my beloved country will have one....but not this one, not now, not this way....and that was my initial reaction to McCain's choice----"How craven of this man! How pandering he's become, our noble war hero! And how in the WORLD is such a choice of 'second in command' to be reconciled with 'Country First'?"

I’m a little frightened by what a distracting side show this whole nomination has become in what I see as one of the most critical elections our country has faced in my lifetime. I alternate between amusement and horror and simply can’t imagine America under a Palin-McCain administration…but if, heaven forbid, it should happen, maybe it will be the best excuse to return to Alaska to hide out until the worst is over? The past few weeks have lasted too long….the next few feel like eternity…and though I’m not a religious person, I find myself praying for my country now on a regular basis!!

So hello to all who meet here at the Mudflats…I’m an ex-Alaskan woman who still loves AK & an Illinois native who has spent over half her life living other places. I’m a fine artist (with work in collections up there in AK), a former university professor, and although I won’t kill or eat animals, I did spend a lot of my time wandering in the wilderness up there. I now care for a farm and nature preserve/park here in IL.

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