Power Outage and the Blizzard

The view from my living room on Snow Day.

The front of my house after the blizzard

Mary making dinner

Leonard and Jonah

Stacey, Julia, Jonah, Surina, Garek, and Kirby

Well, I am working in the library today and can't help but think that this time next week, I will be walking through Halifax Shopping Centre with my Second Cup latte in my hand doing some last minute shopping. I am SO looking forward to the break. I am just hoping that the weather continues to cooperate here as Air Inuit has been (knock on wood!) fairly reliable in terms of flying in questionable weather. Air Creebec not so much...I also read that it was 16 degrees in Halifax yesterday. This could be an interesting adjustment as this week is was -32 with the windchill most days. It was so nice to break out the parka that Jean made for me in Coral Harbour...and the beaver mitts I made. Lots of compliments on both and I have been so warm!

Not much has been going on really. My class got our new laptop, projector, and video cameras for our video project. They have been really enthusiastic and responsible with them. We took them skating and when we helped out for an elders lunch last weekend, they taped it all. The most surprising thing is that they came on the weekend on their own time. We have been making little movies in class. They are a bit boring but they are learning. Eventually, I would like to post some movies on this blog and create one for the class. We will see.

Last Friday was a Ped Day so we had no students. Around 3pm, the Recreation Coordinator called and told me that I had to get two teams (one girls and one boys) together for a COSOM Floor Hockey and Mini Basketball tournament. This was an Under 13 tournament that had been cancelled a number of times and since I had no students and hadn't practiced, I was a bit concerned. So I got people to make calls and we went on the radio. I managed to pull together two teams and was at the gym about 22 hours between Friday and Saturday: the boys placed third in basketball and the girls got first in COSOM and second in basketball. Not bad. We got t-shirts and brought three banners back to the school. Imagine if we had practiced???

This week we had out first blizzard and subsequent power outages. My power was mostly on and it was nice to have a Snow Day. I mostly watched Roswell (Season One) for the 5 millionth time...I can't get enough of that show. Mary and her family came over that night to cook and hang out. They are on the Cree side and they didn't have power most of the day. They were getting cold and hungry and, being a family of six, this would not be a good thing. They came over and hung out for a few hours. We were prepared for them to spend the night but their power came back on. It was actually fun having a full house.

I had a foster kid overnight at my house this week. Only one night and it went fine. This seven year old kid breaks my heart. He has been bounced fro community to community and from foster home to foster home. He has issues but what kid doesn't. He was kicked out of his second foster home and that is how he ended up with me. I decided not to take him more than one night as I am leaving next Friday and it wouldn't be fair. I told DYP (Youth Protection) that if he wasn't placed by January that we might be able to work something out. A lot of work but worthwhile. The problem is if I become too attached. The odds of me being able to get an Inuit kid adopted and move down south is not great. One day at a time...

I am sure this will be the last entry until the new year. If you are in Nova Scotia, see you soon. If not, all the best over the holidays and in 2009!