The Many Uses of Duct Tape

As you can see, duct tape needs to be a part of a garbage handler's first aid kit. Fortunately, we have not had to use our duct tape for this use.

Community of Akwesasne Cares

Last weekend one of the Tribal employees lost everything that she owned in a fire.

I was unaware of this until I called the main Tribal Office building on Tuesday. I made the call since I needed to talk to my accountant that handles the budgets for my projects. While I was on the phone with her, I heard all this talking in the background. I asked her what all the "buzz" was. She then proceeded to share with me that my Supervisor's sister lost everything in a fire and that the ladies in the community were talking about ways to help her. I thought how great that people were going to help her.

Two days later I get an announcement from the Tribe's Public Information Office that a shower has been arranged for the person and she is registered at Wal Mart. We are encouraged to go buy a gift for her and come to the shower. I've never heard of having a shower for victim of a fire, but I thought what a great idea.

The reaching out of the community to help one their members is an indication of a cultural tradition that runs deep with the Akwesasne community. It is a tradition that many people outside of the community aren't aware of. What is this cultural tradition? It is one that places a high value on family and helping those in need.

I've been working for the Tribe for 14 years and this is one of the reasons why I like my job so much. Mohawks are caring people and will come to help when someone is in need with no regard for the cost or time. I've witnessed this numerous times during my time in the community. Several examples come to mind: Mohawk Iron Workers helping with the rescue at the Twin Towers; Tribal Council providing funding to special cleanup projects that are needed; providing assistance to the elderly; etc. etc. I could list others, but I think my point is clear in that Mohawk people care.

I honor the community of Akwesasne for holding on to the cultural tradition that places a high value on family and helping those in need. I hope they never lose it and pass this tradition on to their younger generation.

Celebrating 70 Years of Living

My mom experienced one of those special birthdays last week when she turned 70. Although I wasn't able to be with her on the exact day of her birth, I did travel to the 1000 Islands this past Monday. I took her out to lunch here and we then we had coffee at one of my favorite spots, Lyric Coffee House. Since we couldn't find two deck of cards to play Nertz, we decided to play checkers. The Lyric Coffee House is quite nice and I highly recommend it if you are ever in Clayton.

I'm so thankful that I got to celebrate mom's birthday with her. I pray that she has many more that we can share. I treasure moments like these and grab them while I can. Thanks for sharing your day with me mom. I love you.

Breaking the Rules

Since my friend Nancy broke the rules for the Internet tag game, I decided that I would do the same. I'm listing Fact # 8 about me: I'm a die hard NY Giant fan.

I grew up watching the Giants play every Sunday. I faithfully cheered them on even when they couldn't win a game and there season ended 0-15. I was a committed fan regardless of how bad they were beaten or that they couldn't win a game in a season.

I am still a dedicated fan and was cheering them on during the NFC Championship game on Sunday. There were moments that didn't look good for them, but I was right there keeping a watchful eye on them and hoping that they would win. Win they did and now I get to cheer for them one more game this year. I'm looking forward to an upset. Go Giants! Go Giants! You can defeat the Patriots.

For all my friends that are Cowboy fans and remember watching all the games at the Story's, here is a picture to remind you of the Giants:

Tag - I'm It

Too my surprise, I was tagged by Darlene to share 7 random facts about me. Here they are:

1. I like driving garbage trucks...the bigger the better;
2. I was the first woman to appear on Bill (Senior) Saiff's Rod & Reel show;
3. I eat six times per day and still lose weight sometimes;
4. I like adventure and especially road trips...just ask Nancy;
5. I was a student pilot while I was in college. I flew a single engine Cessna. During my first solo flight, the nose wheel broke when I landed and the plane skidded off the runway. I survived an airplane crash - thank you Lord. I flew many more times afterwards before I decided that flying was too much like going to college;
6. I was a bridge painter for the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority;
7. My favorite pass time is having coffee and visiting with friends.

Here are the rules for the game:

• Link to the person that tagged you
• Post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Here are my tagged people: Nancy, Lore, Michele, Tonya, Nancy C., Connie, and Sue.

Embracing My God Ordained Femininity

I've been reading a new book lately. The book is written by a good friend of mine, Susan Chapman Brown. The title of the book is "Designed for Destiny."

Paragraphs from the first section of the book sums up what the book is about:

Too often and too easily, in the declining culture of today, women lose sight of the design, the grace, the beauty, and the purpose in which God destined for each of us to live. Our desire is to restore women to that place of knowing God and His plan for them; exposing the feministic lies of pits, pedestals and power and releasing them in the balance and dignity of God ordained femininity.

Through the use of teas, teapots, and teachings, God has revealed a key that begins to open a place where we, as women, were destined to dwell. Here, we begin to see our femininity is His design. Just like little girls in their tea party play, we begin to let down our guard, stepping right over comparison and competition, into the royal court of His presence, where we can put on and walk in His lavish treasures.

The book is set up to be read as a devotional. Sue actually has trademark the phrases "FemininiTea" and "TeaVotional" since all of the devotionals are based on teachings that God has given her using teapots and tea cups, and the teachings are designed to restore God ordained femininity to ladies.

I've been reading sections of the book each morning before going to work. God used the "teavotional" that I read yesterday to show me that I am the beautiful woman that He created me to be and that circumstances in my life don't change this.

After I finished reading yesterday morning, I felt led to listen to a song that sings about how beautiful Jesus is. The Lord spoke to me during the song about how beautiful I am to Him. It was a time were God deposited a fresh dose of recapturing my God ordained femininity. I was feeling like a real lady in God's kingdom as I got into my car. I began driving down the road when I heard an unusual sound coming from the right front side of the car. It sounded like an issue with the brake. I turned around and went back to my house so that I could check it out. I got my brightest flashlight from the house and began my inspection of the brake. I found a branch that had wrapped itself around the my wheel and was rubbing against the brake pad. The surgery to remove it involved me getting my hands behind the wheel and pulling the branch out.

With dirt and grease on my hands, God still reminded me of my God ordained femininity and that this didn't change even though I had dirt and grease on my hands. How so true...that my God ordained femininity doesn't change with circumstances. There have been many circumstances in my life where my God ordained femininity was stolen from me. I'm so thankful that God is in the business of restoring this identity to me and that He allows people like Susan Chapman Brown to speak His truth to me. I'm excited to embrace His truth and be released in the balance and dignity of my God ordained femininity. Thank you Lord.

A Welcome Home Gift

I drove down my driveway last night when I returned from CA and discovered a welcome home gift. The gift was from mother nature and it wasn't even wrapped in fancy paper. It was chunks of ice covered with snow.

The ice fell from my roof and transformed the front of my house into a glacier. Their were chunks of ice that were 4 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 1.5 feet in depth. My walk to the front door was blocked with ice and snow. I was able to walk on top of the mound and jump on to my front porch. After donning my ski pants, snow boots, winter coat, hat and mittens, I spent the next 30 minutes clearing a path between my driveway and front door. It was waist high deep as I was shoveling.

I spent a good part of the day shoveling the snow and ice away from my front window. I could stand on the mound and touch my roof before I knocked it down a few feet.

So much for my enjoying the CA weather that I had become accustomed to. Thanks for the welcome home gift, mother nature, and reminding me of what winter is all about - snow, ice, and shoveling. Oh, by the way, it has been snowing all day and we got another 8-9 inches. It is suppose to get colder too later in the week. How cold? The highs will be in the single digits.