I am entering uncharted waters in two areas of my life.

Mad venture #1:  I am publishing a book! The odds are good that you already know that. I have ordered two proofs of said book from amazon, one with “premium color” and the other with “standard color.” The two copies have been printed and shipped. They started their journey in Dallas, Texas; from there they journeyed to Louisville, Kentucky, and thence on to Anchorage, Alaska. Talk about going around your elbow to get to your thumb.

From Anchorage, my books will meander on south to Ketchikan, to Taquan Air, and from there to my doorstep in Craig.

Here’s the cover of my book:

This package with its deeply precious cargo will probably arrive just after I leave for. . .

Mad venture #2: You might already know this one too, but I am heading off to work as the principal/elementary teacher for Twin Hills School (Bristol Bay area of Alaska). This is a school and community that I have had the privilege of visiting and consulting with for the past five years, and I am excited to be of further service to them in this new capacity. How’s that for language befitting an enthusiastic servant-leader?

What is really new about this venture is that I have, for the very first time, placed a project on a crowd-sourcing website. I took a cue from the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), which has a cool $2 million in Covid relief funding to spend. DEED has collectively decided to partner up with Donorschoose.org to help fund teacher projects. Here’s a link to the project I have proposed:

Active Chairs for Active Learners | DonorsChoose project by Ms. Evelyn

Here’s a picture of the chairs I have ordered. They are great because they allow kids to do that teeter-totter thing that they love, while still attending to their lessons. There’s actually some good research out there that indicates kids learn better when they can move a bit.

True to their word, DEED has chipped in $1000. A further $224 is required for us to get our cool chairs. If you donate prior to August 10, and enter the code LIFTOFF, Donorschoose will match your donation, dollar for dollar, up to $50. What’s not to like?

As always, where it concerns your pocketbook, do only as much as your heart and finances dictate. Thanks for reading.

For your further edification, here is a one of my favorite images, a picture of a winter-time approach to the Twin Hills airport.

I’ll keep you posted.